Don't say victim
by Nina.4444
Summary: Callie Torres was back she had a great group of friends, was performing exceptional surgeries and was finally happy. But what happens when history repeats itself, exposing her for the world to see and forcing her to face her past all over again.
1. Chapter 1

**Don't say victim**

**Summary: **

Callie Torres was back she had a great group of friends, was performing exceptional surgeries and was finally happy. But what happens when history repeats itself, exposing her for the world to see and forcing her to face her past all over again.

**Chapter One:**

She had been happy, excited even. She had finished her charts extra quickly in order to get home with plenty of time to get ready. She wanted to wow him. She wanted him to look at her and confirm that he wanted more. She had left early wanting to check the place out and duck into the small cafe next to the restaurant she was due at in about twenty minutes. She left her house in a content bubble as she slowly walked down the street. She thought about the past few weeks and a big smile found its way onto her face. She knew she must look like an idiot walking along the street before darting out to cross the road in tall heels and a black coat with a large grin on her face, but it wouldn't budge and she didn't really care. She had managed to rebuild her life after the national disaster that had been her divorce, or really her entire marriage.

"Why are you so happy?" She turned at the voice, raising an eyebrow as she took in the man before her.

* * *

Callie sat on the dirty, bathroom floor, her head spinning. She choked on the sobs that threatened to overwhelm her body before she pushed herself up again as a bout of nausea made her stomach lurch; leaning over the toilet she emptied her stomach for the third time that night. Her violently trembling hands, red with blood, grasped the toilet seat so tightly that her bruised knuckles turned white. What was left of the red dress she had only bought the day before lay in shreds next to her. Tears slipped down her scratched face as she leant her head against the cool tiles on the wall. She had no idea how long she'd been sitting there. She had only meant to run to the bathroom across the road quickly before heading to the restaurant back across the street. She couldn't move every time she did she was punished with an unforgiving pain, erupting in her head, or in her body before she would sink to the ground once more. It was when she opened her eyes and involuntarily spied blood that she had vomited she knew she had to call someone; there was no way she was getting out of here by herself. But who to call,

She obviously couldn't call someone immediate like Mark or Christina, god knows what they would think if they walked into see her looking as she knew she did. Mark would...she didn't want to see that look in his eyes. The pain, the disappointment, she didn't want to be the woman who would cheat; she swore she would never be that woman. She wouldn't do that to him. She could call Derek or Owen but .. as she stared at her phone she knew she couldn't, they were too close to Mark they would ring him in seconds. Alex? Alex was strong, Alex was still friends with the guys but it was a growing friendship meaning that at the moment he wasn't bound to call them straight away, he'd more likely call Christina but if she asked him not to and didn't give any details away until he arrived she could probably get away with just having Alex see her in this humiliating state. Calling anyone else...there was no one else Meredith, no. She didn't even want to think about the other two members of the Grey household. Bailey, no definitely not. She was out of options, flipping open her phone with much more trouble than usual she dialled Alex's number knowing he was her last hope.

"Hello" Callie breathed a sigh of relief and at the same time almost cursed him when he picked up,

"Hello?" He repeated,

"Alex" her voice was small, it was the first time she'd spoken since she'd staggered into the bathroom. It was hoarse and scratchy and painful.

"Cal?" Alex's voice was questioning,

"Hi...um...i..i was just wondering if you could..come over" she could almost hear Alex's frown at her words and her voice.

"Are you okay Callie?" He asked in a serious tone, remembering she had had a date that night,

"Yeah, I'm ok..i'm allright um..i..."

"Cal I'll be there in ten ok you sure you're allright?"

"Yeah fine I just need..." Her eyes let more tears fall in humiliation as her lips couldn't form the words that she couldn't find.

"I'm in bathrooms across from the restaurant outside of the apartment, you know it?"

"Yeah, I'll be there soon"

"Thanks, Alex could...um could you not ring the guys...or Christina yet please just..."

"Promise, Cal I'll see you soon okay"

"Thanks Alex" Once she had hung up she was filled with a sudden hollow guilt of dragging Alex out, he had probably just gotten home, exhausted from work. She went to call him back, when her stomach lurched painfully again and she dropped the phone to hold it.

* * *

It had been a disturbing phone call and had left Alex Karev feeling uneasy. He'd got up from his desk where he had been researching a rare disease for one of his latest cases and found his shoes slipping his feet into them. Callie's voice had sounded so weak and tired but there was something else, something he couldn't quite place. He knew it was probably a result of everything that had gone on that week. It had been a stressful week for the employees at Seattle Grace they had been flat out all week. He reminded himself to pick up some of her favourite icecream on the way. Just as he went to walk out the room, izzie moved into, making his eyes widen. She was wearing black, lacy underwear her blonde hair down standing in his doorway. Her eyes mirrored him as she took in his appearance,

"Where are you going?" She questioned almost accusingly,

He stifled a groan as he realised he and Izzie were supposed to be having a night in, making up in some weird way. Izzie had caught him when he literally had his hands inside of a patient earlier in the week and asked if they could catch up some time he had quickly agreed knowing that she had only done it so that he wouldn't turn her down in the OR. Next time he wouldn't bother being nice. He realised glancing quickly back at the books on his desk that he had completely forgotten,

"Listen Iz, Callie just called she sounded upset, I'm going to go and check on her" He tried to gently break it to her,

"Callie?" Izzie's voice was laced with contempt and sarcasm,

"Are you kidding, she's fine she just wants attention"

George who Alex hadn't even noticed was standing outside the room threw in his two cents,

"Callie always does that, she says she's upset but she's probably just lonely or something she always-"

"Whatever O'Malley" Alex cut him off from insulting his new friend any further. Peering out the door further he noticed Meredith standing there too but in her pyjamas clutching a coffee cup,

"Do you bring a support group every time you try and seduce someone?" Izzie rolled her eyes as Meredith spoke up,

"We're right Alex, you're always doing whatever she want these days"

"Excuse me" Alex replied affronted,

"She's right you and Christina always run for her...Jesus you jump through hoops at her word"

"For crying out loud Iz this –" But she interrupted him,

"Alex this was supposed to be our night, ours remember, can't you just give me that!" The blonde was almost yelling, and Alex fought not to roll his eyes at her he shook his head before muttering,

"Let me call Callie" With that he walked out of the room his phone in his right hand.

* * *

Mark checked his watch again surveying the restaurant before sighing. She wasn't coming, he nearly cursed. He'd blown it. They should have been almost twenty minutes into their first 'official' date thing together but he sat there alone, thoroughly embarrassed and annoyed at himself. He stood up and left the restaurant peering up at the apartment he knew Callie was most probably in..maybe even looking down at him from, he stared up at it for a while before shaking his head and heading towards his car. He wasn't going to go and see her tonight, he knew he had pissed her off that afternoon, he had been stressed and angry after losing a patient that when Callie collapsed on the attending's lounge next to him and told him about how she'd spent the last four hours removing a mess of shattered ribs from a person's chest with great success he'd exploded and snapped at her. It had been unnecessary, it had been mean and now he just felt like an utter ass. He tried her mobile once without success and decided there was no use leaving a hundred and one messages on her voice mail that she rarely checked.

He sighed getting into his car and backing out of the park before heading home. Well, heading to the the apartment that he was currently sharing with Owen and now Derek that he'd been kicked out of the Grey house. Ten minutes later he walked in causing Derek to look up at him,

"Hey how'd it go? You're back early"

"She didn't show" Mark replied gloomily,

"that's not like her" Derek's tone was of surprise,

Mark shook his head,

"we had a little bit of an argument today, it was stupid my fault. I was wondering if she'd turn up. You guys haven't seen her?

Derek shook his head,

"Nope, she's probably at home" Mark nodded before Derek replied suggestively,

"Make up time?" Mark chuckled,

"Hopefully, where's Owen?"

"Took Chris out"

"Ah, I was wondering why I hadn't received any nasty calls from her"

Derek laughed,

"let her cool down, you know Callie, she's not one to do something she doesn't want to" Mark grinned smally,

"Don't I know it"

* * *

Alex stood on the front veranda and dialled Callie's phone number sighing, he briefly thought about just leaving but remembered his keys that still sat upstairs. She answered on the third ring,

"Alex?"

"Cal" he sighed,

"You can't come can you?" She questioned and his heart stung listening to her say it almost as if she had been expecting it.

"It's not that i..."

"Alex it's allright, that's cool" She tried to make her voice sound indifferent tried to get a smile in even.

"Cal what's wrong?" He still seemed concerned,

"Actually Alex I'm okay, don't worry about it just having a moment, I'm just gonna head home and into bed, maybe a hot bath, I'm good"

"You're sure?"

"Yea I'm just being stupid, I'm good, thanks Alex"

"Ok well I'll see you at work tomorrow right?"

"Yeah course, see you at work"

"Allright ring me if you need me...anytime Callie"

"Thanks Alex" She hit the red button before letting the phone slide from her hand and slip to the ground as she realised she was now alone. Completely and utterly alone on the dirty floor of a public, bathroom stall, practically naked and bleeding. The tears started up again and she desperately tried to think up a plan.

**I Would really love to hear what do you guys think? More Mark/Callie next chapter I promise...**

**Also can anyone tell me what the rules are on...copyright i suppose ..around here. I read that you can't use song lyrics, but i've seen it done on here before...am i allowed to? I have some song fics sitting on my usb that i could share :D**

**Thanks, Nina**


	2. Chapter 2

**Don't Say Victim**

**Chapter two:**

The door of Callie Torres' and Christina Yang's apartment was thrown open forcefully causing it to ricochet off the plaster wall. Callie stumbled in, she only made a couple of steps before collapsing to the ground. She had no idea how she had managed to get inside, no idea how long she had sat on the toilet floor outside for...no idea. All she could remember was the numbness. She was numb, completely numb, no thoughts. She remembered just sitting, not blinking staring straight ahead. She could almost hear her heartbeat thumping deafeningly in her chest cavity. It had turned dark outside that much was obvious, and then she remembered running, she had got up and ran, her phone clutched in her hand so tightly that later she would be surprised it hadn't shatter. She could remember gripping the dirty toilet seat and clumsily trying to pull herself up before painfully hitting the ground again. The second attempt had been more successful and she had launched herself off the ground and began to run. She could just recognise the sounds beneath her were her own heavy footsteps on the earth.

As Callie had swung her apartment door open she collapsed. She was naked, powerless, bleeding on the ground. Her breath left her as she tried to push the door shut and finally she managed to slam it with her foot.

Pain. There was so much pain, the pain was the only thing that overcame the numb. Too much pain. Her legs stung, her stomach ached and she curled further into herself as a knife like pain sliced through it, her back was one huge abrasion from being shoved to the ground and held down on the park floor. Her breasts stung and ached, her head was reeling from the pulsating, unbearable pain that filled it. She could feel liquid running down her legs and knew it was blood. She gasped for air as her chest constricted tightly and her stomach lurched. She knew she was going to vomit once again and she forced her body up onto her knees and literally crawled to the bathroom.

Being so helpless so weak and pathetic broke her. She was crawling on her hands and knees leaving a track of blood behind her staining the wooden floors. She collapsed two or three times as her elbow would give out from beneath her. After falling a second time a flashback flashed through her mind, intruding whether she liked it or not.

_The man held her down by the throat; his hands suffocating her as she tried to gasp for air. His other hand was mauling her right breast, scratching her with his nails and groping her with so much strength she knew she would be bruised for months. She began to lose consciousness as he tightened his fingers, tears streaming down her face. While she was getting weaker she squirmed beneath him still. Fed up the man raised his right knee and brought all of his weight down into her thigh. Her scream would have been heard neighbourhoods away had it not been for his grasp on her neck. Finally he removed his hand, maybe he had seen how blue she had turned or how close to unconsciousness she had gotten. He then shoved a thick, woollen material over her mouth. _

Cold. It was one of the few things her brain could register right now. Her body was trembling violently.

Dark. The fact that she was sitting in darkness hit her next causing her to let out a shaky breath and her body to freeze. She held her breath listening for noise as a wave of cold dread and absolute, sheer terror flooded her body. Again with adrenaline pumping through her veins, she shakily stood up and moved to the light switch flicking it on. She then staggered out of the bathroom groping the walls almost hysterically for the light until she found it. She didn't stop until she had managed every single light in the house. When she got to the kitchen, the last room she felt the nausea rush over her again and stumbled to the bin where she vomited bile that stung her already sore throat. Now sobs filled the air, heart wrenching sobs that poured loudly from Callie. It was the only sound in the apartment and if she had been thinking clearly the doctor in Callie would have realised that the sharp, wheezy intake of breath after each sob was not a good sign. It was there in the kitchen after vomiting she tasted the unmistakable tang of blood and of semen in her mouth. She missed the bin this time as she vomited on the floor. She caught herself on the kitchen bench as she fell grasping it and pulling herself back up. She spied the fridge and unsteadily fell towards it pulling it open and pulling the jug out wanting desperately to rid her mouth of the taste. The weight of the water filled jug was no match for Callie's dwindling strength and it slipped out of her hands landing near her feet sending shards of glass everywhere. She felt a stinging in her feet and legs before staggering back out as she was hit by the cold again. She'd amended the darkness situation now she worked on the coldness. She once again half crawled half staggered to the bathroom before climbing in and turning the hot tap on.

She turned it and turned it and turned it and then screamed at it when it wouldn't turn anymore pleading with the faucet. She screamed as the scalding water hit her body, burning it. But no sound came out, her throat felt crushed and she couldn't breathe as her body went into shock at the abrupt change of temperature. She didn't feel it though, she didn't feel much only a few things...

She felt sick, she felt disgusting, she felt dirty and contaminated, and she felt broken and violated.

The extra pain that swamped her body made it almost unbearable as she grabbed the new loafer Christina had purchased not a week prior and began scrubbing. Her strength to stay upright waned as she crashed into the opposite wall of the shower head and hit the ground, moving her away from the blistering stream of water but still not offering her body the immediate salve it needed. She scrubbed her body raw until it was so bright red, it was glowing. She had reopened every cut and wound and scratch on her body. She scrubbed until she created more sores until she had gotten as much of him off her as she could. Moments later she fell out the shower bracing herself on the towel rack. Blood now dripped onto the tiles creating a small puddle.

She griped the walls pushing herself to her bedroom. She still felt so cold. After burning her body she still felt so cold. She ripped her draws out as a surge of anger hit her this time. She pulled them out flinging clothes until she found what she was looking for. Callie pulled on a thick jumper and then pulled out some trackie pants looking at them. Addison. They were the one's Callie had stole from her when she had visited.

And suddenly everything became crystal clear to Callie. Addison. She was the one Callie had to get to. The thought of her red headed friend made her quickly pull on the pants and then drag her body towards the front door. She missed her fiery friend so much in that second she grabbed spare keys and her phone before leaving...she left not thinking to shut the door instead it sat open with a bloody handprint staining the white wood.

Ten minuted later and she was driving.. her body still being powered on some sort of numbing anaesthetic or maybe it was the adrenaline that was the only thing keeping her body going. But she couldn't be alone and the only thing on her mind now was Addison and her utter need to get to her. The streets were quiet as Callie's car zipped haphazardly through them. Her foot stepped on the accelerator as her need for company grew.

... ...

She had no idea how long it had been. But what felt like both a couple of minutes and a lifetime Callie found herself speeding down a deserted highway towards Addison, towards California. In reality it had nearly been two hours, however because she had nearly doubled the speed limit she had made much more progress than she ever should have. As she drove she was painfully aware of her surroundings. She wasn't sure how long ago it was that she had turned her radio on, blasting it. She hadn't wanted the silence. Darkness surrounded the car, she almost felt claustrophobic as she drove. Her eyes travelled from one side of the road to the other watching for movement not that she'd really be able to see it in the dark, but her whirling mind was paranoid and as she drove all she could think was that if she stopped someone would jump out of the bushes and hurt her... She kept driving...

And kept driving...

For hours

Upon hours.

... ...

Later on the doctors of Seattle Grace and Los Angeles General would both question how her body had sustained itself, remaining alert and awake and had not gave out and collapsed as it should have hours ago. It was true though that Callie Torres was not indestructible, however long it had taken for her mind to catch up with her body. She had just driven over the top of a peak of the hill that bordered another small town. When she hit the top her eyes snapped closed instinctively. The bright light of the sun peeking over the horizon flooded her car making her head explode in pain and blinding lights to erupt behind her eyelids. The light seemed to make everything stop. Everything fall down.

So swiftly and unexpectedly her numb dissipated,

the cold feeling that had encased her body faded leaving her to feel the physical raw sting of her body,

and as tears cascaded down her face she wished the darkness back.

Her throat felt crushed and she gasped for air and it was only then she realised she had to stop, she had to brake, she was going too fast. It was then when a torrent of tears obstructed her vision and she lost control of her breathing, beginning to hyperventilate. Her skin began to crawl as memories flooded her mind. She let out a guttural scream as she shook from feeling what was like bugs crawling under skin she wanted to scratch, rip her skin but her hands were fastened to the wheel. She tried to move her legs, to force them to hit the brake but they wouldn't move. She realised with horror that she couldn't feel them what she did feel was an unfathomable pain slice through her stomach as it cramped.

Her eyes found a blurry light ahead. It was red bright red. She couldn't see anything else just a circle of red light. Without knowing how, her foot slammed onto the brake...but it was too late as her tiny car collided with something hard throwing her body forward.

All Callie heard was a sickening screech of metal bending and being crushed again other metal.

All she smelt was petrol and blood.

All she could feel were the bugs still crawling beneath her skin, then and a shooting, pain up her leg.

All she saw was a red sphere of light behind her eyelids before a quick flash of a man's face appeared until darkness took her over.

until her body finally gave in.

Pleeeease take two seconds to tell me what you think! :D Thankyou!


	3. Chapter 3

**Don't Say Victim **

**Chapter 3:**

Mark stretched his arms upwards as he walked out of the OR after congratulating the nurses and the surgical assist on a successful morning. When the operating rooms had ended up fully booked out the chief had approached him and asked him whether he had wanted to postpone his surgery or do it at a more unreasonable time. _Like 5:30 am. _Mark yawned as he moved down the halls which had begun to get a little busier than when he had arrived earlier that morning.

He knew that Derek had been due in around six something and Owen at about sevenish while Christina wasn't rostered on until 8:30. Callie, she had been due to arrive the at the hospital at six o'clock. She had teased him about it earlier in the week saying that he wouldn't be able to keep her up too late that night, he had told her that would be a problem.

Glancing at his watch he saw it was now ten past seven so Mark set out to find Callie. He had had all night to think about her, to regret upsetting at her the day before and to work out a way to sneak back into her good books. He wandered towards the attendings lounge. He passed the surgical board and when he couldn't see any changes he checked if she'd signed in that day. His frown deepened. When he entered the lounge dedicated to Attendings Derek was sat at the desk nursing a large coffee with charts laid out in front of him.

"Morning Slacker, have a nice sleep in?"

"funny! Hey how was the surgery?"

"Yeah, good have you seen Callie?" Derek shook his head frowning,

"Nope, is she not here?"

"She hasn't clocked on, I was in surgery, I haven't had a chance to see her"

"Maybe she just slept in" Derek offered. Mark knew it was a reasonable explanation, if anyone knew that Callie Torres was not at all a morning person it was him. However she was also very rarely late for work, if there was one thing that could get Callie out of bed, it was surgery. The door opened and Christina and Owen rushed in,

"Hey have you seen Cal"

"Uh..nope not since yesterday" Christina answered before adding, "How was the date?"

"Chris, Callie never turned up, wait wasn't she home last night?" Mark asked an uneasy feeling starting to well in his chest. It was Owen who responded this time,

"Mark she left at about quarter past seven to meet you, we didn't leave the apartment until about ten" Mark's heart began to fasten. Derek spoke,

"Maybe she changed about going and waited until you guys left to go back"

"Why would she change her mind she was excited?" Mark looked at her,

"Well we did have a fight yeste-"

"What the you snapping at her thing after you lost a patient, she didn't care about that" Christina told them,

Mark yanked out his phone feeling worse and worse,

"Hey we're going to the apartment now, so if she's there we'll kick her out back here alright we left some stuff there last night" Christina said

"Hey check with Alex he asked me about Callie on the way in, I didn't have time to stop but ... he was asking where she was so..." Mark nodded as the pair walked out.

He dialled the apartment number and his chest tightened even further when it informed him that that number had been disconnected. The placid, composed recorded voice irritated him as his forcefully hung up before ringing Callie's mobile. It went to message bank.

"Cal, It's Mark, where are you? No one can find you and I'm getting worried Cal can you just ring me or text me to say that you're okay please"

Realising his friend was getting stressed Derek stood up, even he couldn't avoid the uncomfortable feeling that was settling in his chest,

"Let's go find Karev" Mark nodded and the two men walked out nearly running into the man himself,

"Sloan! I just saw Chris and Owen they told me to come see you"

"Have you seen Callie"

"No...not since...wait she's not here"

"She didn't clock on this morning" Mark watched a confused frown contort Alex's face.

"If you here from her can you call me we had a date last night and I'm starting to freak out"

"She didn't turn up?" Alex enquired,

Mark shook his head as Alex spoke again,

"When did you last speak to her?"

"Yesterday lunchtime, I don't know where sh—"

"I heard from her last night she asked if I could...come over"

"What? ...did you, wait what did she say?"

"No I, Izzy well she had a hissy fit, I ...dude I'm sorry I didn't know"

"Look we don't know anything bad has even happened yet" Derek added,

But as the three men looked at each other they knew that they were all doubtful of Derek's words.

"She asked me to meet her at the bathrooms in the park across from the apartment"

"Our date was in the restaurant just near it"

"Have you tried to ring her?"

"yeah message bank"

"Do you want me to try..just incase..she's not answering your calls or something" Mark nodded as Alex picked up his phone, it was at that minute that Marks phone rang, they watched him,

"Callie?"

_No Mark it's Owen...listen Callie's not here but you need to come to the apartment okay_

Alex watched an indecipherable look come over Marks face as he listened to his phone ring,

Ring

Ring

Ring

"Alex?"

Alex's eyebrows rose and the other men turned to him as he answered,

"Callie!" Mark watched him intently ignoring his own phone,

"Cal where are you?"

"Alex, I'm ok" Her voice sounded worse than it did last night making him cringe, she could barely speak.

"I'm ok Alex" she coughed a little bit, gasping afterwards in what sounded like pain,

"Callie I need you to tell me where you are no one can find you, Marks here I'm putting him on"

"Mark ...no...no Mark" Alex frowned

"Cal?" Alex asked confused,

"No mark"

"Ok I'm not...are you hurt Callie?"

"No...good...i'm ok"

"You keep saying that Cal"

"I'm ok"

"Callie listen to me, where are you?"

"CALLIE PLEASE I GET THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO SPEAK WITH ME BUT PLEASE TELL US WHERE YOU ARE!" Mark raised his voice hoping she could hear him,

"didn't ..mean..worry anyone" Alex started to panic as he could hear her voice getting worse,

"Sorry to tell you hon but we're about to call missing persons" Alex cringed at her painful sob,

"I'm sorry Alex, I'm sorry" She rasped

"I'll come and get you ..just me or just Chris or anyone just tell me where you are?"

"I'm sorry Alex" Mark pulled the phone from Alex's grasp,

"Callie!"

"Mark, I'm sorry...i'm sorry" Marks heart sunk into his stomach hearing her voice,

"Baby are you hurt Callie, are you hurt?"

"I'm sorry...sorry"

They were the last three words he got out of her. He never got another response,

"Callie?...CALLIE...DAMN IT!" He turned back to Derek and Alex,

"Something's wrong...something—We have to get to the apartment that's what Owen was saying" He turned away and stared walking down the hall Derek and Alex followed him. They met George half way down the hall,

"Alex, Bailey wants you"

"Tell her I'm busy"

"Well she needs to see you"

"O'Malley I do not have time"

They never stopped walking,

"You can't boss me around now!"

Derek interrupted,

"No he can't but I can so tell Bailey that Alex is now on my service and he's busy"

They briskly walked out of the hospital and almost ran across the street no one else daring to get in there way.

* * *

In a very, very small remote town a young woman lying next to her snoring husband gasped sitting upright so quickly her chest pounding. She threw the covers back flying to window. She gasped for a second time,

"Arthur, ARTHUR!"

Her husband woke as she was flying down the stairs and outside. There was a large semi across the intersection, the front and back on a right angle as if it had braked hard. It was only then taking it all in with horror that she saw a small car lodged in the middle. She gasped as her husband stumbled out. She reached back bindly...

"Arthur...call...call the police call" He ran back inside and then she saw it. Movement.

Somebody was moving in the car, she stumbled towards the scene and saw the woman inside...tears streaming down her face and then..she was on the phone ...she was speaking. The woman watched as the younger woman's eyes began to close until she fell forward unconscious.

* * *

Pain...it was back ..it was there ...everywhere...it was all she could feel. No numbness just pain. With every breath her chest screamed in agony. She could hear something almost hazily as if she was underwater. Her phone...it was ringing.

Ring

Ring

Ring

Ring

She tried to move her arm but she couldn't...terror struck her chest as she realised she couldn't feel it. Her other hand moved as the ringing stopped. She kept moving though, she couldn't move her body...she could twist or turn she stretched her arm and finally grabbed it. She wasn't sure how long it had taken her but she gasped painfully as it rang again and pulled it to her ear.

"_Callie"_

Mark..no it wasn't him...Alex.

"Alex" It hurt to speak, beyond any other feeling the knife in her throat was the worst.

She could barely hear what he was saying. But she didn't want him to worry, didn't want him to know...if he knew..he would tell Mark eventually. And Mark ...Mark couldn't know.

All she could think was that she was making him know for sure that she was okay..She couldn't give him a reason to worry...to go to Mark.

"I'm ok..ok." She wasn't sure how many times she said it. She registered the worry in Alex's voice at some point and felt the guilt sweep over her.

"I'm sorry...so..sorry" The tears started flowing as the darkness grew ..she felt the darkness closing in and she tried to fight it, tried to keep her eyes open.

_Mark_ was it Mark she felt her head spin. _No he couldn't know_

_I'm sorry Mark_

It was the last thought that flashed through her mind before the darkness and the pain claimed her.

* * *

Mark, Alex and Derek were in the elevator of the apartment. Mark cursed the snail speed of the box. When the doors opened they ran towards the end of the hall where the girls apartment was. The first thing they saw was Christina on the phone outside. Not one of the men had ever seen Christina Yang cry but crouched outside of the apartment tears were spilling down her face.

Then Mark saw the marks on the white walls, on the doorframe. Blood.

His heart exploded and as Christina saw them all she could do was point in the apartment. Mark heard Derek ask Christina if she was alright as he turned to it. The noise that escaped his throat was neither a gasp or a yell. It was unnatural as if someone had stabbed him in the chest and sucked all the air out leaving him with a gaping chest wound. There was a large blood stain directly in front of the door. It was dark red, nearly black. Owen walked out of the bathroom,

"Mark" he addressed all three men,

"Don't touch anything the police are on their way" They nodded taking in the horrific scene around them,

Mark's eyes followed the tracks on the ground, littered with bloody footprints heading towards the bathroom. When Owen stepped in his way he almost growled,

"Move" Owen stepped sideways and Mark peered into the bathroom. There was puddle of blood on the floor the shower door was left wide open with a handprint on it. Mark felt his stomach lurch.

It was then that he noticed that all the lights were on. He heard the sirens in the distance and sunk to the ground outside the bathroom. Derek moved to sit next to him as they waited.

* * *

Arthur ran outside to catch his wife who had a glazed look over her eyes. He could hear the sirens in the distance as he lowered his paralysed wife to the ground holding her and shielding her from the destruction in front of them.

**Revieww please! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**Don't Say Victim**

**Chapter 4:**

"SHE'S MY GIRLFRIEND DON'T THINK YOU'R-"

Mark's yell was cut off by the stern police officer.

"Sir, I understand you're concerned-"

"CONCERNED YOU THINK THAT I'M FUCKING CONCERNED, HAVE YOU BEEN UP THERE HAVE YOU SEEN HOW MUCH BLOOD IS IN THAT APPARTMENT, I'M A SURGEON I KNOW HOW MUCH BLOOD THAT IS AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ITS LOST!" Mark was furious, his face was red from yelling,

When a hand touched his shoulder gently he span around in fury,

"WHAT" Derek stared back at him, Mark inhaled before crouching down and running his trembling hands through his hair.

"Derek ...I don't know what to do, I don't know where she is all I know that she's hurt...badly"

"She's a smart woman Mark she knows what she's doing" Derek tried to comfort him but Mark looked up, staring at him incredulously.

"She won't if that blood is from her head, you're a damn neurosurgeon you know that"

Mark hit redial and pressed the phone to his ear. His fingers that weren't clutching the phone crossed hoping she'd pick up. She didn't. He hadn't even been able to get her message bank for the last couple of hours. She'd turned her phone off, or lost it. The feeling that was swelling inside of Mark was something he had never felt before. He was scared, truly, honest to God scared. There was a panic running through his veins and a tightness in his chest that he didn't know how to deal with.

"Anything?" Derek questioned from above him,

Mark shook his head standing up again.

"They'll find her Mark, they've got the radars looking out for her as well as every patrol"

"And if they don't?"

Derek didn't have an answer for him. Mark turned to stare back at the building. His eyes surveyed the yellow tape that was surrounding it labelling it as a crime scene and he felt sick. There was a large group of people that had congregated on the other side of the tape. Mark, Derek, Alex, Owen and Christina had been ushered to wait beside a police vehicle and told they would need to be interviewed. Mark's eyes found Owen and Christina who sat together, Owens arm around Christina's small shoulders protectively as they recounted their morning.

Alex stood with an officer not far away answering his questions as well.

_Why had Callie called him?_ It wasn't the first time the question had ran through his head. It wasn't that he was jealous _well maybe a bit_. But didn't she trust him. Wasn't he her best friend. Wasn't he more than her best friend now. It had been almost a year since they had officially made each other their emergency contacts on ...everything. So why hadn't she rung him when she needed someone?

Derek's phone pulled Mark out of his reverie. He turned to watch Derek pull it out and his eyes flicker up to Mark before he turned speaking in a hushed voice. Mark rolled his eyes. He was sick of people treating him as if he knew nothing or he couldn't handle it, as if he couldn't be trusted to not do anything stupid. _Like you wouldn't do anything for Callie. _He turned trying to get the annoying voice in his head to piss off and stopped as his eyes fell on a small building across the street. As Derek turned back to him snapping his phone closed he spoke,

"Chiefs pulled all of our surgeries sending the emergency ones to Mercy if there's no one to cover. Hey how're you going, how's Christina?" Mark saw Owen out the corner of his eyes but stayed staring at the grey brick building remembering Alex's words.

_She asked me to meet her at the bathrooms in the park across from the apartment._

Mark's feet started moving towards the green square. He barely checked for traffic as his mind was set on one thing, one place.

"Mark" Owens voice was questioning,

"Where are you going, Mark!" The two men followed him, crossing the road and throwing a confused glance to each other.

Mark hardly heard either of them calling his name again and chose to ignore them. As he moved closer to the toilets a golden glint caught his eye just right of the building he hurried towards it. He abruptly stopped up short when he realised what it was, his breath catching in his throat. Owen and Derek stopped either side of him.

"Is that..." Owen recognised the object as the clutch Callie had left with the evening before.

Owen didn't say anything more and his question went unanswered Mark moved forward and went to pick it up but an arm caught his. He looked up into the eyes of his best friend,

"Owen was right, before I mean, don't touch it Mark ...the less we touch the faster and easier it will be for the police to find her. The more they have the better" Mark nodded, dazed.

"Ah guys" Owen apprehensive voice sounded from behind them making the men swivel around. The old army doctor stood much closer to the toilets. Mark and Derek strode towards him and Mark let out a hoarse gasp when he saw what Owen was looking at. There was blood on the ground...on the concrete...and..

He couldn't even think it,

There was red satin...strips of it, ripped, torn that littered the ground.

"We need to get out of here now, get the police, let's go" Mark didn't move,

"Mark now" Derek threw a confused glance to Owen who widened his eyes silently asking for help to get Mark out of there. Derek and Owen placed a hand on his shoulders.

"We need to get the police Mark" The three men walked away. As they got back to the chaotic area an officer ran up to them demanding where they had left to. Derek filled her in quietly and her eyes widened before grabbing another officer who grabbed out his radio speaking into it at a rapid pace.

The remaining police woman asked Mark to follow her as they needed to speak with him. With a stony face Mark trailed behind the woman where he was led to where Alex was still being questioned.

"Derek" Owens voice was quiet and almost strained. The neurosurgeon turned to him and raised his eyebrow,

"Her dress" Derek nodded fighting with his mind to keep the worst scenarios at bay.

"Derek" Owen repeated, recapturing Derek's attention,

"What?"

"Her underwear...bra and underwear they were just inside the toilets...on the floor...ripped, Derek" Derek's heart stopped and his eyes widened in horror. The thought had gone through his mind when they had seen her dress ripped but he had pushed it out with an angry force. Now, Owen had almost confirmed it.

"Do we tell Mark" The men were silent for a couple of seconds before Derek spoke again,

"No...not for now, who know's the police might tell him when they find them but...not now he's already stressed enough, he's about ready to drive the streets looking for her"

Derek and Owen watched a group of police moving to the area near the toilets. There were forensics teams there, when the boys heard footsteps behind them they turned. Alex and Christina were walking towards them. Owen opened his arms and enveloped Christina in his arms. This Christina was the one he was most afraid of or for. It scared him because she was vulnerable, most people knew her to be the tough, cold surgeon but Owen knew that for a few select people who she cared the most deeply for she was a mess when they were in trouble. And Callie and Christina were best friends now. Owen filled them both in on what had happened recently before another officer walked towards them.

"Excuse me sorry to interrupt are you Christina Yang, Derek Shepherd, uh..." The mans eyes scanned the paper for the other names but looked up when Derek responded,

"Yes" the officer sighed,

"Look I understand that this is difficult for you all...not knowing is often the hardest thing about a situation like this, but I can assure you that we have every unit keeping an eye out for her and we've got our own team, that is exceptionally good on the case" The group nodded waiting for his point,

"I'm sorry but he's not making this easier and we really don't want him to get any angrier and do something stupid" The man glanced back towards where Mark was now harshly speaking to a pair of policeman.

"We're wondering if you'd be able to all go back to the station or a house or maybe the hospital you work at...somewhere where we can still contact you all from but not here. Dr Sloan isn't taking it all that well" Christina frowned interrupting him,

"Of course he's not, he's girlfriend is missing, How the hell is he supposed to be taking it? Who knows where she is she could be lying in a ditch somewhere, kidnapped! Her clothes are on the ground torn and ripped over there it doesn't take a genius to put the dots together!" The officer took Christina in, he opened his mouth to say something when Owen stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her.

"They're going to find her Chris, they'll find her"

"I assure you Mam...Dr Ya-" He stopped at the look Alex sent him.

"And what if they don't Owen...what if they don't find her, what happens t-" Owen's finger found her lips effectively silencing her not letting her finish the thought.

"Give them a chance love, give them some time.." Owen could see the tears in her eyes and he pulled her into his chest again.

Derek looked towards the officer,

"We'll head back to the hospital, please ring us straight away if you hear anything" The man nodded before walking away.

It took them nearly fifteen full minutes to get Mark to agree to leave. Derek had tried in vain the rest knowing he was their best shot. Mark had worked himself into a fully blown panic. In the end it had taken Christina to walk to him and speak so quietly and yet severely at Mark. They didn't pick up what she had said but Mark had looked properly chastised before he wrapped her in his arms. The two people closest to Callie Torres held each other feeling each other's pain and knowing that someone understood. Then as a group they silently walked back to Seattle Grace Hospital which had never seemed emptier or colder.

...

The wailing of sirens sliced through the air. There were dozens of uniformed paramedics, police and fireman flooding the area, yelling at each other. The scene was horrific, people had gathered on the streets watching the rescue teams try to save the injured. Strangely enough there were only two casualties. The truck driver had been lucky. While he had tried to break when he saw the small car fail to slow down the trucks speed had inhibited him from doing it fast causing him to not feel the colossal impact of most motor vehicle accidents as it was being called. The man had been removed from the truck disoriented but conscious at least half an hour ago on a spinal board as per usual at these scenes. That had been the easy part. As the crowd had been informed there was a woman trapped in the small car that was a mangled mess. It almost appeared as if there was no bonnet and someone would swear that they had heard that her legs were crushed and she was stuck. Glass littered the road making it sparkle but the ghastly stench of blood and gas or petrol made every person's stomach turn. It had been thirty minutes since the rescue crews had swamped the intersection and when the firies had started to survey and inspect the large petrol cylinder attached to the truck the crowd got worried. They had seen this on the horrific, police shows they watched safely in their lounges at night. The white airbag had been ripped from the car by a paramedic and discarded on the ground, it was stained a bright red which glinted in the early morning sunlight.

The tools had been brought in fast after that and the car was being sawed apart. From the small glances that had been gotten of the woman she was a bloody mess. Suddenly a distant sound of a helicopter caused the crowd to search the skies. The aircraft landed a bit away and they heard a paramedic yell into a radio that they could see them but the casualty wanted ready yet. There was more chaos as the fireman at the base of the truck yelled out telling the paramedics and rescue workers to hurry it up.

Another ten tense minutes passed before the roar of the saw stopped and silence filled the air for a second. The ambulance was backed in closer as the woman was placed on a stretched as carefully as possible. They cautiously rolled her towards the vehicle as another man inserted a needle into her arm and attached her to various other things. The breathing tube that was fixed to a bag was held in another woman's hand that pumped it in time. They lifted her up into the ambulance out of the bystander's vision. The doors were slammed shut and the unknown woman was swiftly driven away, sirens blazing.

Twenty minutes later the still unidentified woman was in the air about ten minutes away from California General Hospital where she was being airlifted too. The paramedic who had been with her from the start picked up a head set and spoke into it,

"This is Mandy, paramedic on 2413D. We are en route to you with an unidentified female. Age approximate late twenties. Patient was involved in a severe two casualty MVA found by public around ninety minutes ago. Bystander reported that the patient regained consciousness temporarily before losing consciousness again. Patient has crashed twice, CPR administered as well as defibrillation. Patient sustained multiple traumas, possible spinal injuries, GCS of 3. Major lacerations to chest and a large head wound. Blood loss estimated at over 800ml, bleeding is now controlled. Both legs were trapped for approximately forty minutes with severe bleeding. Resps of 31, pulse tachy at 130. BP 105/90. Pupils equal and reactive to light. Morphine not administered due to low BP. Patient cannulated on sodium chloride drip. Other injuries undetermined but multiple other breaks and fractures suspected as well as internal injury particularly sustained to the chest indicated by severe contusions to the chest. ETA seven minutes. Police also en route"

There was a shrill beeping and Mandy threw the head set to her side as her partner administered another shot of morphine and she checked her chest, taking in the scratches and bruising Mandy frowned, the injuries weren't adding up. The paramedic brushed some of the woman's dark hair, matted with blood off her forehead,

_Who would you be and what on earth has happened to you?_

**Sorry to leave you guys to wonder again, would really love to know what you think of the chapter!**

**Thanks for reading, **

**Nina**


	5. Chapter 5

**Don't say victim**

**Chapter 5:**

It felt like they had been there for hours. Stuck in a little room, waiting. Mark had had enough on multiple occasions and tried to leave to go and look for Callie himself. The worst possible situations were going through his head. The feeling of dread hadn't left him instead the just intensified. All he could think of was the blood, her blood, staining the carpets, her bloody fingerprints on the walls.

The stench in the apartment had been of blood and vomit, when Christina had stepped out of the elevators she hadn't noticed instead she was laughing at something Owen was doing behind her. It was only when she was half way up the hall that she stopped talking to him. Looking down there was a slight red mark on the halls carpet, looking ahead of her there were more, her eyes followed the track and she launched into a run. Owen had called to her but she hadn't noticed. When she had seen the bloody mark on the wall she had yelled out,

"CALLIE!" Mark's fear had seemed farfetched. Living with the woman she knew Callie had probably slept through her alarm if she was up late the night before. She had been exhausted from the past week with everything happening. Christina had frozen in the doorway her brain shutting off. That was until Owens arms slipped around her waist pulling her backwards and told her to call the police and he would call Mark as he entered the apartment. Christina shook her head leaning further into Owen's chest on the attendings couch trying to rid her mind of the image. Callie had to be alright, her best friend had to be alright.

Alex was drowning in a sea of guilt. He was leaning against the wall in the attending's room watching Mark panic and Christina remain quieter than he had ever seen her. How didn't he recognise the fear, the pain that must have been in her voice? How much of a coward was he not to say no to Izzie and go and check on his friend. Alex had become close with Callie over the last few weeks, he enjoyed her company and her sense of humour and found himself wondering on many occasions why he hadn't befriended her before. _George._ He'd never liked that kid. He should have realised when she'd asked him not to ring anybody else that she was in trouble. She knew she was a strong woman, a proud woman. Often too strong for her own good. She rarely asked people for help, rarely acknowledged that she might need some help. He should have known that George and Izzie were just trying to get him not to go to Callie when they had bagged her out as an attention seeker. Not that he had believed it anyway. As far as he was concerned it was Christina and him that had the right end of the stick not falling to George's unlikely and demeaning descriptions he had been giving of Callie ever since he moved back into the Grey house. Alex groaned, _God he needed to find a new place. _

Derek's eyes were trained on Mark. He had never seen his best friend like this in the 20 something years they had been friends. Derek had no doubt that Mark was in love with Callie, he had known for a long, long time before Mark had, before Callie had. Derek wasn't sure if Callie even really knew the extent of Mark's feelings now, he was more than aware that she had been left devastated after her marriage to George. It had been weird for him, he assumed for Christina and Alex as well. Living with Meredith, Stevens and O'Malley who were grouped with their hate for Callie and then being friends with her and Mark and Owen. They were almost stuck in the middle and Derek often struggled with how to balance his relationship with Meredith and his friendship with his closest group. While his friends never seemed to cross into the territory of Meredith and the Stevens/O'Malley pair it seemed that Callie, Christina and even Mark were a frequent topic in Meredith's house. He'd had to bite his lip more than once at her house. Now all he could think about was Callie, how hurt was she? Mark had made it painstakingly clear that the amount of blood she had lost would have left her worse for wear. Now a car crash. They had watched Callie struggle with her life recently, having her marriage fail. He knew the hell that was; in fact his marriage with Addison had many parallels to Callie and Georges. He remembered how he had become friends with the orthopaedic surgeon as he had found her drinking alone after a long shift at Joes. He had sat down, startling her and they had spent the night talking about marriage and divorce and both sharing the comfort of understanding.

At the end of the night they both got a taxi and both stumbled into Callie's apartment with the intention of Derek crashing on the couch, she had kissed him on the cheek after saying good night and retrieving him some blankets and pillows.

"Thank you Derek, really, I don't feel like I'm alone now, Mark's there, Christina too they're brilliant but...they never really got it, got it..not in the way you do." He'd nodded and grinned back at her. When she said that he'd cleared the headache she'd had since her breakup with George he told her that she'd probably get it back when she woke up from the amount of tequila and vodka they'd shared. She'd grinned and stumbled through to her own bedroom.

Owen watched the group. Everyone was consumed in their own thoughts, both Derek an Alex had matching uneasy expressions on their faces. Mark, he didn't want to even try and unpick what was going on inside his friends head. He felt Christina lean back into him and his arms instinctively pull her even closer. He was worried about her, she was a mess. He'd realised how much when she'd yelled at the police officer. He knew how much Callie meant to her, theirs was a strange friendship and yet it worked so well. He along with Mark were there most nights, in fact the girls apartment had almost become the groups spot where everyone would just end up whether it was him, Alex, Derek or Mark. Derek particularly had stayed there on occasions where he couldn't be bothered travelling back to Merediths, or he'd go to Mark's place. Owen often slept at Christina's, his apartment was ten minutes the other way from the hospital so usually he'd stay with her, not that she minded. Being there a lot let him witness the insaness that was his girlfriends relationship with Callie. ...Callie...his heart had stopped when he'd peered into the bathrooms. He'd kept his composure trying not to alert Mark of what he'd found. He'd had practice, dealing with distraught patients and comrades when he had been in the army. He'd had a feeling that almost confirming..._assault _on Callie, it felt wrong even as he thought it, would not end well.

He wondered where she was, what condition she was in. Who was wi-

Owen thoughts were cut off by the door opening. It was the two police officers who walked in after the chief that got Marks attention. As the chief closed the door, Derek moved to sit with Mark, it was the woman that spoke first,

"Dr Sloan I have a few questions for you, you're Dr Torres primary emergency contact are you aware of this?" He nodded,

"Dr Yang" Christina looked up from where she sat with Owen,

"DR Torres has you listed as her secondary contact" Christina's eyebrows shot up,

"Really?" Her voice was questioning and Mark turned to her,

"She didn't want it to be anyone else Chris, we went last year to change them, her father is her third." Mark looked at Derek,

"You're my secondary, and you're next" He nodded to Owen whose expression matched that of Christina's. Without another glance Mark looked back to the officers.

"What's going on?"

"I need to know what your relationship to Callie Torres consists of."

"I already told the officer before" His voice was gruff, impatient before he sighed, loudly.

"We're dating, we're close we are best friends, what happened?"

"Ok that's fine Dr Sloan, ok...early this morning there was a reported motor vehicle accident in California, a small town of Stockford, have you heard of it?"

Mark nodded,

"The woman involved matches the description you all gave us of Dr Torres, the hospital is trying to identify her officially at the moment. But I was wondering if any of you knew Dr Torres' number plate on her car"

"426 BHS"

It was Christina who spoke. Everyone turned to look at her,

"I went and got Callie's car out of the airport parking thing when she went to see her parents remember." Mark almost smiled, almost. Callie had decided that a trip to see her parents was in order; she wanted to straighten everything out with them. She wanted them on her side again. So she went to visit them. A few days into her trip Christina realised that Callie's very nice, very expensive car, that Mark and Christina had had a large influence in her buying, was sitting there just going to waste. Christina rang Callie and it took her nearly half an hour to convince her to ring the airport and let Christina take it for the week.

The police officer standing next to the woman who had been taking notes the entire time flipped through his papers, before stopping and giving his partner the tiniest of nods.

"It was her wasn't it?" Mark spoke his voice strained,

"Yes Dr Sloan, well it was Dr Torres' car that was identified in the crash"

"Wait? So where is she? When was the crash? What happened?"

"Wait so Callie was in a car crash...near California...after she was hurt here...Oh my God" Owen tightened his hand that enclosed Christina's as she spoke. Derek, Alex and the chief stood silently taking the news in.

"Yes, it would seem so. She was heading towards California, it appears as though she went through a red light she hit a petrol truck which spun out crushing the front of her car"

"Where is she, how hurt is she?" Mark asked again,

"She was airlifted to Los Angeles, she's in L.A General as far as I know and I am not clear on the extent of her injuries."

Derek moved from the wall and pulled out his phone as he moved to the door, he turned to Mark.

"I'll call Addison, get her over there" Mark nodded

Derek shut the door behind him and lifted the phone to his ear,

"_Derek?, to what do I owe this pleasure?" She was laughing in a good mood,_

"Addy" She obviously heard the grave tone in his voice,

"_What's wrong Derek?"_

"Ad Callie's been in an accident"

"_WHAT, Oh my God ...how is she, I'll be on the first flight, Derek is she okay?"_

"I don't know Ad we were just told, but she's closer to you than to us"

"_What?"_

"She was hurt this morning Addy or last night we aren't sure." Derek looked around to make sure no one could hear him.

"She was supposed to be going out with Mark last night, she didn't show up. This morning we went looking for her and ..we found blood in her apartment and her dress...torn in the park across the road from the restaurant. Ad Mark doesn't know but...Owen found her underwear and bra in the toilets -"

"_You think she was?" Addison gasped and Derek could hear the tears falling down her face,_

"It looks like it. We just got word there was an MVA in Stockford, you know it?"

"_Yeah it's about two hours away by car"_

"They identified Callie's car, they think she ran a red light, they airlifted her to LA General, can you—" Addison cut him off,

"_NAY, -_

He could hear the familiar voice of Naomi answer her,

"_Ad what's wrong?"_

"_Callie's been in an accident she's really hurt at LA General I have to—" _

"_Go let me know what happens" _

"_I'll come with you, I'm off for this morning" _That was Sam,

"_Derek I'll be there in 10 tops"_

"Ok let us know as soon as you get there Ad, Marks going insane, we'll most likely be on the first flight over"

"_Ok I'll ring you in a while"_

"thanks Ad, bye"

He hung up the phone walking back into the room where everyone looked towards him,

"Addison and Sam are on their way to the hospital" Mark nodded,

* * *

Addison gripped the car door handle tightly her knuckles turning white as Sam drove the car quicker than he probably should.

"No a woman who was involved in a car accident at Stockford, her name is Callie Torres I'm a friend of hers I need to know what floor she's on, where she is?"

Addison was speaking slow and deliberately to the hospital receptionist, her voice was becoming more and more annoyed every second. Sam patter her on the knee and she threw a watery smile towards him. Callie, she missed the woman so much. Life in California was great and all but she missed her friends, her Callie who she could say absolutely anything to. Who she could count on everytime and who just got her.

Five minutes later Sam braked at the emergency doors, as Addison had been unsuccessful at finding out exactly where Callie was in the hospital.

"I'll meet you inside" He said, she thanked him as she ran outside and disappeared into the hospital,

Addison glared at the woman in front of her as she asked Addison again to take a seat. The red head had been standing at the desk for nearly 5 minutes trying to find out where her friend was.

"ADDISON" She turned at Sam's yell and followed his gaze to find Callie being wheeled forward out of a room. Sam showed the doctors his ID and they informed him that they were taking her up to the OR for emergency surgery. Addison had frozen at seeing her best friend. She would have barely recognised her if it wasn't for her hair and her caramel bronze skin. She couldn't breathe but staggered forward clutching the bed, a doctor reproachfully told her to let go and that they had to go but Addison ignored them and drew a shaking hand up to touch Callie's cheek.

"Cal, be strong Honey Callie it's Addy I'm here, I'll be here when you come out" She felt Sam's arms pull her backwards letting the doctors move and the two watched as Callie was pulled out of their sight. Addison's face was white and she and Sam collapsed into the plastic chairs. Sam squeezed her hand and she clutched onto it,

After a couple of seconds Addison pulled out her phone,

"I've got to ring Derek...Mark"

Sam nodded offering to do it for her but she shook his head. Instead he told her he would give the doctors as much as he knew about Callie, they could speak to Addison later in the meantime they can ring Seattle Grace to get her details.

Addison pulled out her phone her hands still trembling as she watched Sam speak to the doctors and rang Derek.

* * *

The group collectively jumped as Derek's phone rang he pushed accept and held it up,

"Addy?"

"Oh God Derek have you heard from the police?"

"Yeah they just walked in, hold on Mark's here ok"

"Yeah"

Derek passed the phone to Mark who wanted to hear it from Addison than from the police, he wanted to hear someone cared. That the woman he loved wasn't alone, that she was with someone who cared, that someone was looking after her.

"Addy" His voice made tears well up in her eyes all over again,

"Oh Mark, she's here, she's in a severe, critical condition, they're about to take her into surgery Mark, what on earth happened to her?"

"I don't know Ad..I..I don't know I'll be on the next flight..Christina will probably be with me..I don't know who else, what surgery?"

"She's bleeding internally Mark, that and her ribs were practically shattered, one of them punctured her lung" She had heard one of the doctors tell Sam,

Mark closed his eyes,

"Do you know anything else in particular"

"No they won't tell me anything they just rushed her into the OR they can't until they officially identify her and see her emergency contacts and everything."

"Ok, keep me posted Ad, and thanks for being with her, look after her"

"I won't move"

"Thanks Addy"

Addison and Mark both hung up the phone. Mark rang the airport to confirm his flights that left in an hour and a half.

Addison got up and moved to where Sam was speaking to the doctors, for another fifteen tense minutes Addison informed them everything she knew about the case and about her friend. She stuttered when she attempted to inform them about possible sexual assault. The doctors then informed both Addison and Sam on Callie's condition. By the end of the conversation Addison was in tears clutching Sam's hand once again as the doctors thanked them and walked away.

"Seattle Grace Hospital Chief Webber Speaking"

"Richard"

"Addison, how is she?"

"Richard...it's bad...it's worse than we thought, I didn't get particulars but I peeked at her chart. They took her for a CT and an MRI can you send Derek with Mark please..we need them...both" Addison's composed voice she spoke to Mark with was gone instead she was panicked,

The chief leaned back in his chair, running a hand over his tired face,

"Mark can't work on her Addison"

"She has the worst burns I've seen in a very long time, I mean I know I'm not in the ER anymore as much but, they're bad Chief and ..he's the best."

"I'm not convinced Addison he's not taking it very well"

"I've spoke to the doctors here about airlifting her to Seattle tomorrow ...you know support and everything and I don't think you can spare Derek for as long as she'll need him"

"What for?"

"She's got three maybe four cerebral hematoma's and she's lost a lot of cerebral-spinal fluid, he's the best Richard, she needs the best, she deserves the best"

"Ok when will it happen?"

"um we're thinking tomorrow afternoon, the problem is that I'm the only attending they'll spare and I'm not enough we need three trained attending's in different areas and at least two residents"

The chief didn't even think before saying,

"what about Hunt, Shepherd, Yang and Karev"

"Sounds perfect"

"What about Mark"

"I'm pretty sure he's already booked his flights, so you'll all be back here tomorrow night"

"I wouldn't expect anything else, just make sure they all get on the flight and I'll fax the paper work over to you now"

"Ok I'll see you tomorrow"

An hour later the chief walked into the attendings lounge where the police officers were just finishing up. As they exited, the chief sat down in their vacated seat.

"What's going on"

"Callie's surgery went well, they repaired the lung they're going to have to go back in for her ribs and there's still a lot more damage. You lot are going there tonight and tomorrow you and Addison are going to bring her home, we've organised for her to be airlifted with you lot."

"Is she stable enough?" Mark exclaimed,

"No she's critical that's why three trained attendings and two residents are going and you" he looked at Mark who nodded.

* * *

Five hours later five tense, worried and silent employees of Seattle Grace walked out of Los Angeles International Airport into Californian sunshine. Naomi and Violet waved to Mark who gave Naomi a tight smile as she embraced him.

"How you doing Mark"

"I'll be better when I see her" She nodded in understanding and after a quick introduction they walked towards the car and set off to LA General praying that Callie Torres was not as bad as what they imagined.

**Please please please take two seconds to let me know what you think! :)**

**thankyouu!**

**Nina :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**Don't say victim**

**Chapter six:**

The ride to the hospital had become almost unbearable. Derek sat in the front of the car and Alex in the back. The pair made small talk with Naomi who drove the speed limit and stopped at the red lights and braked when necessary. Mark sighed,

It was probably a good thing that she was driving and not him.

Mark had greeted Naomi but since the sleek, coal black, very expensive car had turned out of the airport, Mark hadn't uttered a single word. Instead he'd been picking at his nails, running his hand through his already ruffled hair and wringing his hands. Mark was nervous, Mark was scared. Really he was at the point where he was just point blank terrified. He knew she was alive but he also knew she'd been attacked and hurt and..

Who knows what else they'd done to her.

And he knew that she'd been in a car crash at that her injuries had been so severe that they'd airlifted her to LA.

After what felt like hours they finally arrived at LA General and as Mark flew out of the car he barely registered Naomi's voice,

"Addison's waiting for you inside"

He only barely saw Christina flying out of the car that had pulled up behind them as well and her following close behind him into the busy hospital. It didn't take long to find Addison her bright hair easily distinguishable.

"Addison!" The red head turned and half smiled to the group that had convened in the entrance of the emergency department. She moved to them and Mark saw the exhaustion, the fear and knew that she was just as scared as they were. He opened his arms and Addison walked into them, both drawing strength from each other. She smiled to the rest of them briefly touching Derek's shoulder but knowing that it wasn't the time for proper reunions. She gestured them to follow her and Addison led them to an empty room.

"Addis-"

"Mark I need to run you through her stats before we go in there, you need to each know why you're here and what you need to do before I let you in there, that and she just came back from a scan I think they're resettling her"

Mark nodded knowing he wasn't going to get into see her; instead he'd more likely be thrown out for trying to get in there. He sighed and filed in after the group.

Addison began to talk them through as much as she knew. She talked to them about the surgery which had successfully been done with minimal complications and as she began to talk them through the rest of her injuries a fist knocked on the door causing Addison to jump and swivel around. She motioned for the woman on the other side of the door to enter and she did.

"Addison they told me you were in here" Addison nodded and looked back to the group,

"Guys this is Dr Fiona Moore she's the chief doctor on Callie's case" Addison had turned back to the blonde doctor and after brief introductions between the doctors Addison looked back at her again,

"Did you get her labs back, how are they?"

The doctor briefly looked down,

"What?" Mark questioned,

"Dr Sloan isn't it?" Mark shook his head,

"Call me Mark" She nodded and took a seat next to Addison who was considering Fiona understanding that all she held was bad news,

"Fi" Addison gently prodded her,

"Ok Callie's tests and scans which were done last night indicate that Callie was sexually assaulted and abused, we still need to do an official rape kit but from the samples that were taken it can very well be assumed"

They froze. Everything froze. It had gone through nearly all of their heads at some stage. The boys, all three of them, after seeing her dress ripped on the ground. Derek and Owen had been almost sure. But hearing it. Hearing it confirmed was a whole different story.

Mark gripped the table so hard and his jaw clenched.

Christina felt tears well up in her eyes and felt Owens tense hand settle on her shoulder. Derek and Alex stood immobile taking in what had happened and feeling completely sick with the whole situation. Addison's eyes reflected the woman's across the table and Fiona took in the group realising how close they were to Callie and wondered if she really should be suggesting that they take on the case as Addison and her had agreed. Fiona pulled the report up in front of her and continued to deliver the news to the disturbed and quickly becoming distraught group,

"The tests showed that the event was over forty eight hours ago so approximately on Wednesday night"

The noise that escaped Mark's throat was painful and raw.

"FUCK!" Alex had yelled to the room completely startling the occupants he turned and crouched down running his hands through his hair.

"Fi could you give us a second and then I'll take them to go and see her" Fiona nodded and moved out the room clicking the door shut on her way out. For a moment the six doctors sat in silence until Addison spoke,

"Listen guys I know that this is...impossible to hear and listen to right now. It's Callie this...this doesn't happen to ..."

A tear slipped down her face and Derek moved around the table but Addison refused the hug swiping the offending tear away.

"Listen if you want to be allowed in there, if we want to handle this case, if we want to get her airlifted back to Seattle tomorrow then you have to...we have to be able to control our emotions. I know you guys can work with people you know, you did it with Archer, you did is with the chief and a heap of others, but you have to tell me now, and tell me honestly if we can handle treating Callie, I'm not going to put her in a bigger risk if we can't be her doctors, I'd rather she stayed here"

Derek shook his head,

"We're okay Ad, it's just the first news, we can get her back"

Addison looked at Mark who stared back at her,

"Mark"

"I'm fine Addison, I need to see her"

Addison nodded but didn't break his vision,

"I didn't just bring you here as her friend or more or whatever you two are now Mark ...she...she has burns, from the car crash they've been initially treated by plastics here but you're the best Mark and ...you're the best can you do it?" Mark nodded not even thinking about it,

"Yes Ad" She considered him before nodding knowing that he'd do anything for Callie, he'd treat her burns. Callie had once told Addison that Mark always fixed her and she knew that this time would be no different.

"Ok" Addison pushed a copy of Callie's chart to each of the doctors who flicked them open,

The next ten minutes was spent informing the doctors of their main priorities and where they're specialties were needed. More tears, more swearing and more pain ensued but as the group stood to go and see their newest patient they were much clearer of their roles and they stood determined to make their friend, their family, their Callie Torres well again.

Addison stopped them again outside of a white door. The door was closed and it had a stop sign on it. They each signed the paper as did Addison ensuring they could enter the room before Addison turned to Mark who was more than impatient and yet in some ways didn't want to enter the room and see his best friend, his girlfriend.

"Mark" Addison's voice was soft,

"Addy"

"just...she's really black and blue Mark...she's ..." Mark nodded cutting her off and Addison's warning stuck in their heads as they walked in.

"Shit" Christina's curse made the few nurses in the room look up in alarm.

Mark was silent but a horror struck expression contorted his face. He cautiously walked towards her and leant over her bed and gently dropped a small kiss on her bruised forehead.

"Hey Cal, it's Mark"

As the others considered their very beat up friend Derek picked up her formal chart flicking through it.

"Have you got her CT scans?" His voice was quiet and Addison silently passed them to him. The others watched Mark run his thumb down her scratched cheek tenderly. It was when he gasped that the others turned to him, Christina echoed his shaky breath as she moved closer and spotted what had alarmed Mark. There was a set of fingerprints bruised into her skin. They sat sickeningly around her neck almost like a small necklace of pearls would. Marks fingers traced her neck feeling his entire body tense.

"Well we should be able to get her there but were going to have to be really careful here" Derek spoke and Addison nodded at him while Owen surveyed her chart and scans now. Christina and Mark sat next to her barely acknowledging the two and Alex stood back nearly against the wall.

What had he done?

The hours went by they had no idea how long they'd been in Los Angeles for all they knew was that Callie's condition wasn't improving. They'd been in the room for a long time, Derek and Owen had both been called out several times for other cases after they'd said they'd help with a few while they were there. The others worked on Callie and monitored her closely, Mark had done what he could for her burns and sutured up her other cuts and wounds. They'd redressed them as well and readministered the medications she had been put on.

The police had also arrived at some point and had demanded to speak with all of them including Addison and Fiona. They had spoken to the Seattle police and were now working with them, taking Callie's case extremely seriously. Each had talked to them Mark had made sure that someone would be with Callie at all times before he would agree to leave with them but Alex and Christina sat by her side not moving.

When Fiona had arrived to do the rape kit at sometime Derek, Owen and Alex left the room. Christina, Addison and Mark sat by her side as Fiona and a nurse moved Callie's broken body around to get what they needed. When the time came for photo's Mark was asked to leave but he indignantly refused. When he reminded Addison that one. He was her best friend and two. That he'd seen everything before and three. He was her doctor. Addison had consented for him to stay, they began to remove more of Callie's clothing to snap the photos. It was only then that Mark saw the extent of her injuries. Christina, so out of character, gave way and let the tears fall just as Addison did. Mark however, got angry. He stood up forcefully,

"DAMN IT!, WHO THE HELL DOES THIS TO SOMEONE LOOK AT HER JESUS..." Addison stood,

"Get out Mark, go for a walk just get out and calm down" She wasn't meaning to be mean, but she did mean to be forceful. He needed a break and he needed to deal with what he was feeling. He stroked Callie's face once more and slammed out of the room. He ran...he ran down the hall and outside. Derek had stood at the sound of Mark's raised voice and followed his best friend down the hall. When he got outside he saw Mark all but collapse under a tree a couple of metres away, his head in his hands and Derek watched as his shoulders shook.

Fiona finished up and looked up at the two remaining women.

"As soon as she wakes I'll give her the morning after pill" Addison nodded her eyes widening and she prayed for her friend. She couldn't take this as well.

Alex and Owen moved back into the room the latter wrapping his arms around Christina's body. They reclaimed their positions around her bed.

"Chief Mason" Addison spoke causing the other doctors to look around at the man who had just entered; the doctors introduced themselves to the chief of LA General.

Derek dropped down next to his friend and sat silently waiting for Mark to talk first.

They sat there, old friends, they sat together just silently reminiscing in what had been the last day of hell.

"I should have know-"

"Mark" Derek cut his friend off before he could even complete his confession,

"There is no way that you could have known that Callie was going to your date"

"I should have gone and checked, I should have gone up to her apartment, I should have at least rung her!" Mark's voice was unforgiving as he placed all the blame on himself,

"The only person's fault this was Mark, is the bastard who touched her, and they'll find him, the police will find him Mark. You had no reason to believe that she was in trouble; you had no reason to think that it wasn't just because she was upset that day. Mark this guy if he hadn't touched her she _would_ have been at your date at the restaurant. If he hadn't hurt her she wouldn't be hurt, she wouldn't be here. If he had never come along she wouldn't have had the car accident."

Derek turned to Mark and waited for Mark to meet his eyes,

"This is his fault, completely and entirely his fault understood" _yes._ He did understand, Mark understood what Derek was saying but ...it didn't stop the guilt from overwhelming him. It didn't stop the images of Callie's bruised skin, of the fist marks on her stomach and the scratches on her back from running through his head. He turned back to look forward feeling his anger slip, feeling his resolve and his facade shatter. He ran a hand over his face and he couldn't stop the tears that found him. Derek simply placed a hand on his shoulder and sat with him offering the support when Mark wanted it.

**Hello peoples please review and let me know what you think...I know it's all very depressing at the moment but as they say it has to get worse before it gets better and all that...**

**Please please please review!**

**That sounds a bit needy doesn't it? :D but please do!  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**Don't say victim **

**Chapter 7:**

Alex Karev squirmed uncomfortably around in the large bed wrapping himself in a tight cotton cocoon. He had tossed and turned all night and consequently had barely slept. Addison had somehow convinced both him and Derek to travel with her back to her place to get some sleep. Once they had arrived Derek had informed him that he was taking the couch while Alex would have the guest room. Giving in tiredly he accepted the chivalrous act and hadn't bothered staying up with the two to chat instead retreating to the room and sitting in the darkness thinking about the past couple of days. His phone had flashed brightly a number of times and so far he had received six calls from Izzie and two from Meredith, he ignored them.

_Just like you ignored Callie_

Alex was wrought with guilt and remorse and it was eating him up inside. He didn't think he'd ever felt so stupid in his entire life. How could he not realise that Callie had been in trouble, if he had gone over when she'd literally begged him to, she wouldn't be here. She wouldn't be here with several time bombs sitting in her brain, she wouldn't have been in a horrific car crash that had nearly killed her and was still trying to.

Alex flipped onto his stomach the thoughts consuming his mind and placed a pillow over his head in frustration hoping for some peace.

Christina and Owen had similarly spent a restless night in one of LA General's on call rooms trying to get some much needed sleep before the big move the next day. Both had failed miserably and as they walked hand in hand back into Callie's room the next morning they both had heavy, dark rings under their tired eyes. Owens eyes flitted to the machine on the other side of the bed and quickly read Callie's stats which were holding okay for the moment and then let his eyes follow Christina's gaze to the bed. Callie lay on her back, in the exact same position as the day before, she hadn't moved. A brace kept her head in the same position minimising movement and a large blood stained gauze dressing was stuck on her forehead. In the morning now almost a day after the accident Callie's bruises looked abhorrently worse. The colours were bright some bright green, others turning a yellow colour and the traditional blue but the way in which they wrapped around her body and discoloured her normally golden skin was unsettling to anyone who looked at her.

A hand clutched hers lightly and finally Owen took in Mark Sloan who had never once left her side since he had arrived. He felt a wave of compassion and sympathy wash over him as he took in the man taking note that he'd have to make sure he ate today. Mark's head rested on Callie's bed and his body was twisted in an almost unnatural way as he slept, snoring lightly next to Callie. And then as someone else pulled the door open Mark startled, jarring awake and Owen and Christina turned glaring at the newest arrival for interrupting Mark's peaceful sleep.

Well peaceful on the outside anyway neither Owen nor Christina wanted to even attempt imagining what was going on in Mark's mind.

The nurse quickly shut the door and moved to Callie after greeting each of them good morning and asked if she had made any progress during the night. Mark shook his head and settled his eyes back on the bruised face of his girlfriend as the nurse began recording Callie's vitals.

Thirty minutes later Addison, Derek and Alex had arrived and they all sat around Callie's room once more. Mark and Owen were in the middle of redressing Callie's burns that were still a violent red. The damp bandages were slowly soothing the wounds but they were still more than vulnerable to infection.

The morning flew by. Derek had taken another CT scan as well as an MRI. Owen and Addison had literally had to fight with both Mark and Alex to get them to eat something which had been a long argument with severe swearing and resulted in Addison threatening to call hospital security and the food being delivered into Callie's room personally.

At around lunch time they had all the tests back and they were as clear as they were going to get to be able to transport Callie back to Seattle Grace Hospital. The chief of LA General visited them for what would be the last time. With him entered the two hospital helicopter pilots that would be flying with them with a copy of Callie's chart between them. Ray and Gordon were introduced to the Addison and the Seattle Grace bunch and quickly realised that this was most certainly a personal case.

"I just got off the phone with Chief Webber" The group looked towards the chief of the hospital with interest,

"Richard has assured me that they're more than ready for your arrival. He said they have the trauma rooms set as well as an OR on standby." Derek nodded at the chief knowing that the OR would most probably be necessary by the time they made it to Seattle. The air pressure would place even more pressure on Callie's head; they had a lot to manage while they were up in the air.

"Who are we quoting as in charge of Dr Torres' case while en route via the helicopter?" Ray questioned. The doctors looked around at each other they hadn't really thought about it and there had never really been one person in charge. Finally Mark looked up,

"Owen?" The man looked towards Mark eyebrows raised,

"You've done this before, you're trauma, you're emergency and you're the best." Mark spoke with certainty that left nothing to question. Owen nodded at his friend and then at the pilot who scribbled on the sheets in front of him.

Next Dr Moore stepped into the room and spoke directly to Callie as she had done each time she had visited Callie's room,

"You ready to get out of here Callie?" The woman lying on the bed was unresponsive and Addison placed a hand on the woman's shoulders who turned to her smiling before saying,

"She's a tough woman she'll be right but let us know how you go, yeah?" Addison nodded,

"Thank you for everything, you've been wonderful and ..patient with all of us"

"It's no trouble, she deserved every second and she's lucky to have all of you... now let's get her transferred onto the bed" Fiona helped to lift Callie on Christina's count onto the bed that Gordon and Ray had wheeled into the room. Mark, Owen, Christina and Alex then began to assist the pilots to securely strap Callie onto the bed making sure she wouldn't move too much during the flight.

As they got ready Fiona pulled Addison to the side,

"I've sent all of the results and tests regarding the sexual assault onto the team at the hospital and I've put them in your name so you can pick them up and hand them onto the police who will require them there. All of Dr Torres' belongings that were collected from the accident are in the helicopter already as well"

Addison nodded at the woman in understanding and thanked her one more time,

"I'll let you know how everything goes"

"I'd appreciate it, good luck with everything" The red head nodded smiling and then the two women began to walk after the group who had begun to move out of the room surrounding Callie.

Owen surveyed the group around the stretcher each with the same determined expression plastered on their faces. He nodded knowing they were as ready as they ever would be and with the harsh wind whipping around their faces he spoke,

"All right guys on 3" Each pair of hands gripped the stretcher tighter,

"1, 2, 3" In perfect synchrony Callie was lifted into the helicopter and the doctors scurried in after her and began to fasten the bed to the floor of the hospital helicopter.

"What's her BP" Derek asked as he reached for the strap at the end of the bed,

"150 over 91" Alex answered,

"If it gets any higher we'll have to push some more fluids, Karev can you keep an eye on it"

"yep"

The wind was indeed harsh and it was a bumpy journey which caused concern with all of the doctors. Around forty minutes into the flight Mark laid the palm of his hand on Callie's forehead as the helicopter jerked its way through some particularly nasty turbulence. He frowned,

"What's her temperature?"

Alex looked at the small screen on his lap that he was closely monitoring,

" 38.9" Mark cringed praying that it wasn't infection that was causing her body's temperature to rise,

"Let me know if it get's higher as well"

It was only another half an hour later that Alex piped up and delivered the news that Mark Sloan so didn't want to hear,

"Her temperature just hit 39.3" Mark groaned and looked at Derek,

"Swap with me I'm going to check her burns, start pushing some fluids anyway see if we can get her temp down that way" Christina reached for the bag hanging and increased the flow,

Mark and Derek slowly switched places being extra careful and Owen and Mark together leaned over Callie's lower body and began to slowly unwrap the bandages they had tightly wound around her legs that morning. Mark hissed when he cut her leg free of one of the more blood stained bandages causing everyone to look up.

"Damn it" Mark began to grab the salve that they had brought with them and he and Owen began to thickly apply it to the angry red wound that was definitely infected. Without the proper antibiotics to add to her IV Mark had to hope they could just keep her fever down until they made it to the hospital. Once they had re bandaged Callie's leg Mark snapped his gloves off disposing of them before moving back to his original place near Callie's head.

He ran a hand over her forehead once again and looked to Alex,

"It's holding tight we've given her more fluids and some 200ml of the antibiotics we have with us that should bring it down a bit, her BP has sped up a little but it's still alright for now" Mark nodded,

The next hour was rather uneventful, exactly how they liked it. The salve, antibiotics and drip appeared to be working as Callie's temperature slowly declined and it looked like it would hold until Mark could get his hands on the right stuff which would be done as soon as his feet hit the ground of Seattle. The group chatted about different things and the pilots interacted with them all trying to keep the mood light. When they had finally made some good progress Gordon turned from his seat in the front of the aircraft a worried expression growing on his face,

"What?" Mark impatiently questioned first,

Gordon sighed before addressing them,

"We're just warning you, you said that you wanted the ride as smooth as possible well Seattle's gone a bit haywire on us and we're in for a bumpy ride"

"How bumpy" concern and apprehension was laced in Derek's question and Gordon sighed again,

"Winds have picked up we just have to make it in to the central district and we should be right but it will take about fifteen to twenty minutes more than we expected we should have been landing in fifteen tops"

Silence followed the turbulence before had managed to shake them around a bit and judging Gordon's face this was going to be worse. The switch Owen made into his emergency mode surprised them all as they got a glimpse at what the commanding medical officer would have been like in the emergency medic camps in the army.

With the limited supplies they had Owen expertly instructed them how to make an even more secure restraint for Callie's unconscious body that would be at mercy of the helicopters movements. He also produced a neck support and a head brace that would further limit any movement.

The first big swirl of wind they hit caused Addison to be hurled forward abruptly and a sudden squeal escaped her lips as she was thrusted forward. Derek and Christina caught her the latter just stopping her from falling onto Callie.

"Hold on to what you can guys" Ray called from the front,

Owens makeshift supports held up increasingly well, the small amount that Callie would move each time the helicopter jolted surprised the doctors,

"Her BP is on th—" Alex was cut off by a loud, shrieking sound

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

Derek's hand moved fast checking Callie's pupils and Christina pumped more drugs into Callie's drip. Owen's stethoscope was held against Callie's chest while Alex cited their patients stats that were steadily rising.

It had happened abrupty and unexpectedly but the last sound they wanted to hear filled the air around them. The machine beeped erratically and out of time,

"No pulse" Owen cried out and Derek threaded his fingers together before placing them on Callie's chest,

"Come on Cal" Mark ignored Dereks plea only able to hear his own heartbeat in his ears as a paralysing fear erupted in his chest. He grabbed the tube Christina thrust at him and the ear, throat, nose and plastic surgeon inserted the tube down Callie's throat with years of skill. As he attached the oxygen bag on the end Derek finished compressions and Mark pumped two pumps of oxygen into her lungs.

"Charging to 200" Addison's voice alerted them that she had the defibrillator nearly ready,

"Charged!" Derek leaned back and let Addison place the paddles on Callie chest. Her whole body was thrusted upwards causing Mark and Derek's hands to hold her head down as gently as they could.

"nothing"

"Charging to 250"

Mark pumped more oxygen into her body,

Addison sent the shocks into Callie's body again; Derek's hands continued compressions and Mark sent regular bouts of air into her lungs. When Addison shocked her best friends body for the third time she couldn't stop the tears that welled up in her eyes as she looked up at Alex waiting for him to tell her that it had worked.

**Hey guys, let me know what you think, i split this chapter in two so i could at least put this up for you and i'll keep working on the next bit now ...i know that not a lot happens but i hope it's alright !  
**

**immensely appreciate the reviews! And thankyou to everyone who has reviewed so far it really does mean a lot!  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**Don't say victim**

**Chapter 8:**

* * *

"Medical team for transport3424 on standby. ETA 3 minutes"

Chief Webber's eyes scanned the skies of Seattle for the helicopter that contained half of his main stuff including one who was, as far as he knew, in a severely critical condition. As Richard raised the radio to his mouth Bailey pointed to the skywhere a small, black spot broke through the clouds in the distance,

"Yep we've got you, we're on standby ready to go"

Approximately three mintues later the chief and the newly made attending ripped open the doors of the helicopter.

"Welcome home folks, sitrep?"

Alex began quoting Callie's stats which were holding on the border of stable and too high,

"It was touch and go, she's doing alright but I need an MRI or a CT and then I'll need to get her into surgery fast"

"I've got the scans and the OR on standby for you" The chief turned to address an intern behind him who scurried off to page CT and tell them they were on their way.

"We need to start her on antibiotics for these burns, infection is most likely, and I need to do some work or there'll be too much scarring"

The chief considered what seemed to be a very composed Mark Sloan, Owen cut him off as he opened his mouth,

"He's fine Chief, let him operate" Richard considered Owen and then Mark again before his eyes finally rested on Callie and he nodded. The eight esteemed doctors surrounded Callie's bed and pushed it down the ramp and into the double doors of the hospital. Nurses, doctors, janitors, admin staff and everyone lined the walls of the hospital. They watched as one of their own was wheeled past. There were gasps as the staff laid eyes on Callie who was still an array of colours and took in the breathing support and everything else she had been attached to.

They got to the CT scan in record time, her bloods were taken and never had a scan been processed so fast, the lab had never worked faster and within ten minutes Callie was prepped and pushed into the OR as Derek, Owen and Mark scrubbed in as the primary surgeons.

It was rocky, as had been the helicopter journey and as Christina and Alex assisted Addison found herself opting to wait outside. She demanded updates but she wasn't a specialist in what Callie needed treated right now, her time would come later. So she let Drs. Shepherd, Sloan and Hunt take over to do what they do so well while she made her way back to the waiting room. After a moment, once Addison had slumped down in the chair, a nurse moved towards her, one that the redhead had worked with while she had been an employee and sat down next to her.

"How are you doing Dr. Montgomery?"

Addison shrugged and against her will tears formed in her eyes. The nurse stood and when she returned she offered Addison tissues and water. She threw the younger nurse a watery smile and a quiet thank you before abruptly standing up and making her way into the nearby residents lounge. She slid down the wall and let her sobs over take her.

_Charging to 250_

_Nothing_

_Charging to 300 _

_Nothing_

_Addison had never hated Alex Karev more. She knew it wasn't his fault that he had been landed the job of telling her that the shocks she was sending through Callie's body weren't helpingbut all she had wanted to do was rip open the helicopter doors and push him out. _

Addison shuddered remembering the various close calls that they had had. The nurse that had followed her sat quietly next to her and grabbed her hand. Addison clutched onto it needing something,

"We lost her so many times, Derek didn't say it but we could all see that he was checking for brain damage, and Mark..."

She couldn't speak as sobs overcame her body once more.

"If there's one thing that I'm certain about Dr. Torres is that she's strong, Dr Montgomery that woman is probably one of the strongest women here. The things she's been through in the last year..."

The nurse shook her and Addison nodded,

"she's still here, she made it through that and she will make it through this"

Addison nodded again,

"But she can't be strong forever and so many things have happened to her and ...I don't want to see her fall and hurt and broken all over again"

"But you'll be here to help her and so will Dr, Yang and Karev. And Dr Hunt and I don't even need to say anything about Dr

Sloan, ...Dr Montgomery would you like me to ring anybody else, her family an—"

Addison's gasp cut her off,

"Oh gosh we forgot about her family, I have to call them, well Mark should probably call them but I think he has enough to deal with" Addison looked up at her,

"would you be able to find me the contact details please?" The nurse nodded and Addison stuck out her hand,

"Addison"

"Hiedi"

"I know we've met before so nice to see you again and thank you" Hiedi shook her head waving her off.

Half an hour later Addison sat at Derek's desk staring at the phone with a piece of paper in front of her with the contact number for Mr and Mrs Esteban and Adrianna Torres.

She picked up the phone and with shaking hands she punched the number in, took a deep breath and held the phone to her ear. On the fourth ring the phone was answered and Addison's heart jumped into her throat,

"Adrianna Torres"

"Hello?"

Addison struggled to find her voice,

"Hello, Mrs Torres?"

"Yes"

"um this is Dr Addison Montgomery calling from Seattle Grace Hospital, I have some news about your daughter Callie"

"oh what's she done this time Dr Montgomery?"

Addison sighed and bit her tongue feeling her anger well,

"Mrs Torres, your daughter was in a motor vehicle accident. She was airlifted to Los Angeles and then back to Seattle today. She's suffered three subdural hematoma's they have her in surgery right now, she also has sustained grade three burns to her lower extremities and various other injuries"

After a long pause Addison heard the struggle in Mrs Torres' voice when she spoke again,

"Will she be alright?" Addison swallowed,

"Depending on how the surgery goes it will be a long recovery process but she should be alright"

"Ok ...I need to ring my husband, talk to him, we'll probably call you back later, thank you for calling Dr Montgomery"

"No worries, call any time you need"

As Addison hung up she realised that Callie's mother very much did love her daughter. It hurt her knowing how much Callie sincerely believed that her mother hated her. The woman had been horrible to Callie in the past few months but maybe this would allow them to reunite?

Addison sighed and stood up before collapsing on the couch in the dark room. She let her hand fall over her eyes shielding them from any light that managed to get into the room.

* * *

Derek Shepherd walked into the office his back aching and sighed when he finally saw her. His ex wife was curled up on his couch sound asleep but a frown was still etched onto her usually calm face. He had been looking for her since they'd gotten Callie out of surgery and into the ICU Mark, Christina, Owen and Alex as well we're still with her when he announced that he would go and try to find Addison.

He moved to her and crouched down in front of her. A weird tugging in his chest alarmed him, he hadn't felt that in a long time a very long time. Ignoring it he brushed a piece of her hair from her face and then gently shook her awake.

His eyes widened as Addison gasped, throwing her body upwards, tears exploding from her eyes. Derek shook himself and then quickly stood up and sat on the couch,

"Addy"

She collapsed in his arms and both of them finally let go after two days of hell, of waiting, of fear, of fighting to keep Callie Torres, one of their best friends alive.

* * *

* * *

Mark hadn't slept in two days...it had been two days since the surgery, two days since they had gotten Callie back to Seattle Grace Hospital. And for two days he had been waiting. His chin was covered in stubble, his stomach grumbled from his lack of eating and there were dark rings under his eyes from lack of sleep. He was going to be there when she woke up,

And she was going to wake up.

Derek had tried to tell his friend on multiple occasions of the risks, of the chances and of the odds of Callie taking longer than most to wake up. Mark didn't want to hear it and while he knew Derek was trying to do him a favour, really he did not want to hear it.

* * *

It was the next day. Three days after the surgery when Derek Shepherd and Owen Hunt had just walked into the room to check on Callie. Addison and Mark were sitting in the room having become permanent fixtures of the room and Christina was having lunch the only one of the group who wasn't there was Alex. It was when Derek opened Callie's eyes to check her pupils that they began to flicker on their own and her head turned away. For a second everyone just stared, and then Mark was beside the bed within seconds and Christina stood next to Owen on the opposite side.

"Callie, Cal...Callie" Mark called to her,

His heart accelerated a million times over when she began to open her eyes.

"Cal..." Her head turned towards his voice and he reached out a hand and placed it on her cheek, it was then that she started to practically flip out. She flinched her body away from him and he retracted his hand as if he had been burned.

"Callie" Next she jerked her body away from Owen who had spoken. Addison watched her best friend and registered the terror in her eyes before she stepped closer to the bed and in front of Mark,

"Ok Cal...hon it's Addison, it's ok, it's alright, your safe... Callie I need to take out the tube ok breath deep sweetie"

Addison stared at her as she watched Callie slowly process and take in her words before she nodded, tears flowing down her face.

"It's okay Callie we've got you"

Christina had replaced Owen on the other side of the bed and the two women leaned over their best friend. Derek raised his hand and placed it on Mark's tense shoulders who watched his girlfriend struggle. Addison had taken Callie's hand after they'd removed the tube and the sound that escaped Callie's throat as they did showed how much pain she was in and sent a slicing pain through each of their hearts at their friend's cry. Christina turned and added more pain relief. As Addison turned to grab the water behind her, her hand didn't follow as Callie kept it clutched in her hand. The scared woman grabbed Christina's wrist when it came into reach as well.

"Cal...honey..just breathe,, it's okay...it's allright just breathe sweetie"

"I was ...I...truck...he..hur—" Callie rasped her voice so quiet that they all leant in to be able to hear her,

"Shh, it's alright Callie I promise, it's okay...we've got you ...it's alright" Addison promised, her heart breaking as she took in the distressed and dishevelled woman,

"no ..you do...don't ...und...stan" A wheezy cough rising forced Callie to cut off and lean forward, Christina listened to her back as she coughed. When she sat back up Addison looked at her,

"We know hon ...we know, your scans showed us"

Callie just stared at her realising what Addison was referring to. Addison reached up and stroked her messy, knotted hair. Callie coughed again,

"shh sweetie don't worry about it...we'll talk later okay ..you need to rest"

Tears had build up in her eyes again and as Mark watched the two women tend to his best friend he wondered if she even knew they were falling.

**What do you think?**

**Please send a review my way : ) **


	9. Chapter 9

**Don't say victim**

**Chapter 9**

**Warnings: violence, sexual assault and offensive language **(just incase)

_She could feel the cold steel pressing into her side as a gruff voice whispered in her ear commanding her to walk. She hesitated but only for a second as she felt the knife press harder into her side. Terror welled up in her chest as she unsteadily moved forward. To the world around them, not that there were many people in the streets at that moment, they looked like a couple his arm linked with hers. The sharp knife in his hand was invisible to the rest of the unsuspecting world. She refused to allow the tears to fall as she looked around...for anyone..anyone at all..Mark? But she cursed herself, why would he be here this early?_

_As he led her forcefully around the behind a red brick toilet block he moved even closer to her tightening his hold on her. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest, it felt like her rib cage was vibrating with every beat. The man stunk of alcohol and cologne...too much cologne, he was putrid. It was then that she watched him throw the knife away. It took her brain a couple of seconds to react. There was no knife in his hand. She moved, she wrenched her arm away from him and threw her body backwards. Obviously she had thrown him off guard and her arm slipped through his tight grasp. In surprise she turned and ran, but her heavy legs that were full of lead were far from working properly and she only made it a few steps before he threw his arms around her waist dragging her back to him. She hit and scratched at his arms and threw her body left and right trying to break his hold. He held on this time refusing to let go but as she threw her head back his nose connected with his skull and in shock he let go and after violently throwing her forward. She was roughly thrown forwards and she smacked none too lightly into the cement wall. She saw stars and white lights erupted before her eyes. And then she felt her hair being pulled and her head was yanked backwards. Her knees collapsed causing her to hit the ground, dazed. He was stronger than her there was no doubt about it. He was stronger and bigger and he was hurting her. He pinned her to the ground his fingers circled unbearably tight around her upper arms as he straddled her waist. _

"_Stay the fuck still you little whore" His voice was deep, scratchy_

_It was only then she realised that she was silent? What the hell was she doing..Callie opened her mouth and let out a piercing scream. It lasted all of two seconds though as two hands were slapped over her face,_

"_Shut up! Don't you dare do that again, you hear me" he threatened his eyes were dark they looked black to her. Her eyes widened as he grabbed her nose and pinched it between his fingers. Her eyes welled with tears and her throat closed over. She needed air. And then she bit his hand that was still across her mouth she bit it...hard._

_He ripped his now bleeding hand from her mouth but a hard slap across her face stopped her from screaming again. _

"_You little bitch" He hit her again and then grabbed her hair pulling her head upright,_

"_If you want to live you better do what you're told and behave. Be a good little girl, understood?" He looked at her but she couldn't respond his bloody hand was tightening around her throat,_

"_I SAID IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?" he growled into her ear his stubble scratching her cheek. She nodded quickly. It was then that he took the jacket that had been hanging over his arm and pulled a long, dirty piece of material out of the pocket. He turned to her and put it next to her mouth pushing it into her lips. She clamped her mouth shut causing the man to sigh in frustration and shake his head at her, _

"_You really have to make things harder?" A second later the air left her lungs and she threw her head back gasping as a hard fist came in sudden contact with her stomach. He quickly stuffed the material into her mouth effectively silencing her and wrapped another piece around her head holding it in place. She squirmed beneath him trying to move and he punched her in the face again and then he forcefully rolled her over. She got a face full of dirt and snapped her eyes closed. Then she felt his hands on her body,_

"_mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm" The man on top of her could barely hear her scream mind anyone else a hundred metres away. She felt his disgusting fingers pull the zipper of her dress and as he pulled it down he leant down,_

"_You're a beautiful little thing aren't you, sexy little slut dressing like this...who are you getting all dressed up for?...boyfriend, husband" His hand travelled down her back and then nipped her skin as he forced them under her body and groped at her breasts. She thrashed around tears falling down her cheeks. _

"_Stay still damn it" He pulled her up this time, he held his arm around her front and pulled her up harshly, bending her spine while he still sat on waist cutting off most of her air supply anyway. He grabbed her neck and squeezed. She couldn't breathe, she needed air, she need air, she coughed and spluttered as she choked on the material. Her vision blurred and her sobs ripped from her throat her lungs were on fire. _

"_We tried to do this the easy way but you chose the hard way all I asked you to do was be a good girl remember?" As she lost oxygen the world started spinning and she couldn't see, her fingers were still trying uselessly to pry his hands from her throat. She felt him drop her to the ground his grasp still tight on her neck and the last things she was the black ground and her purse lying not far away from the knife before she collapsed into darkness. _

Mark stood outside of room 404 his arms folded across his chest. He watched her sleep a frown on his face. It wasn't peaceful and as she moved around in the bed he knew she would have a sore body when she woke. All he wanted to do was burst in the room and wake her up from the nightmare she was stuck in and hold her in his arms. He hadn't touched her since she'd woken up. It had only been eight or so hours and she'd fallen back to sleep fairly quickly from the pain. His heart stung as he remembered how fast and how violently she'd jerked away from him when he reached out for her. He had to remind himself that it was normal for victims of r...He couldn't even think it he couldn't. It was too hard to believe. It was insane. Absurd. All they'd been doing was going out for dinner that's all they had been doing. He had wanted to take her to dinner, why couldn't he have simply agreed to stay in like they normally did, like Callie had wanted. No he'd forced her out and now...

He ran a hand through his hair as the anger bubbled up inside of him.

The dynamics of Callie's room had changed dramatically since she had woken up. In the last several hours he along with Derek, Owen and Alex had been asked to not go into her room while Addison and Christina had sat with her. The two women made sure there was someone always with her so that she would never have to wake up alone, for that he was thankful, he couldn't think of anything worse. But he still wanted to be where Addison was, holding her hand, waiting, supporting her not watching his beaten girlfriend from behind a pane of glass. It was killing him.

A hand slipped onto his shoulder and he turned to see Derek,

"You should get some sleep Mark" Mark ignored his friend and continued to stare at Callie.

"Mark you know that you can't go in there you need to give her time, she's okay...you know that she's okay she's here and she's safe. But you need to be ready for her when she needs y-" Mark turned to Derek, furious,

"And what if she doesn't need me...what if she isn't ever ready. What if she never wants to see me again what if she doesn't ever want me to touch her again Derek? That son of a bitch nearly killed her and you think she's okay! YOU THINK THAT CALLIE TORRES IS OKAY SHEPHERD! YOU DID HER FUCKING SURGERY YOU'VE SEEN HER BODY YOU THINK SHE'S OKAY!" The door not three feet away from them slammed shut and a furious looking Addison moved to them,

"What do you two think you are doing?" As Mark turned to her he froze along with his heart when he caught sight of Callie. Christina was leaning over her and wiping the tears from her eyes,

"She just woke up from a nightmare and the first thing she sees is you two screaming at each other, oh and it probably isn't the greatest idea to publicise what's happened here to the entire world Sloan"

"Addison?" Mark was breathless as he watched Callie lower her eyes when he looked at her. Addison sighed,

"She didn't hear what you said Mark, we woke her up a second ago when she started crying and yelling in her sleep, we tried to let her go as long as we could" Mark just watched her as Christina tried to make her as comfortable as possible and Addison slipped back into the room.

As Addison walked back into the room her heart exploded as she surveyed her friend. Her face was still swollen and bruised. Her neck was completely purple and blue. The bastard had choked her. It was Derek who had thought aloud while he was waiting for her CT scans that he'd have to check for damage if she'd been suffocated, brain damage. Addison's eyes had welled up at his statement realising the implications. She'd been so relieved since her friend had woken up. She sat on the side of the bed as Christina fiddled with the machine next to the bed. As she raised her hand Callie moved back,

"It's okay sweetie, it's okay" Callie searched her eyes and finally relaxed letting Addison brush her still knotty hair with her hand.

It was that day, five days after the night that nobody would ever, ever forget that Callie began to spend more and more time awake. Since she had woken up she had still slept solidly through the days and nights. The fact that she was more alert was a relieving thing for everyone dealing with her case. Derek was particularly relieved after being concerned something in the surgery had caused her to be excessively fatigued. While he had known the colossal trauma her body had experienced from both the assault and the car crash was more than likely the culprit it hadn't been enough to settle his nerves.

Later, in the afternoon after the nurses along with Addison and Christina had changed Callie's bandages which was a painful ordeal in itself for Callie Christina turned to her friend,

"Cal you know Mark's going insane with worry for you" She'd said it quietly not wanting to upset Callie but her words caused Addison to look up towards Callie as well. They'd discussed when the right time to bring up Mark would be but hadn't ever agreed on anything. It was obvious that Callie wasn't ready to be touched. She was more than uncomfortable with any of the guys being in the room and had adamantly refused to allow any of them to touch her, she barely let Addison or Christina touch her. It was understandable, it was more than understandable.

Callie just nodded at Christina,

"Do you think that maybe you'd like to see him...not for long just let him say hi and see that you're okay?" Callie sat silently

"Mark's your best friend remember Cal, you guys tell each other everything, he loves you Callie" It was when Addison spoke those words that Callie began to shake her head,

"No...no I don't ...no...no" Her voice was still quiet and breathy, her windpipe had basically been crushed. Without the use of her voice to use Callie began to panic, she couldn't have him in the room. She couldn't see him, she couldn't let him see her, not now ...not like this. He couldn't see her like this.

**Hey everyone, so next chapter will have some more involvement from the police and Mark and Callie may actually talk...and some other characters might arrive...**

**But first pleeeeease let me know what you thought of this chapter or how you think the story is going! : D **

**Thank you all for reading!  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**Don't say victim**

**Chapter 10 **

Alex walked into the room a gentle smile playing on his lips,

"Hey Cal, how are you doing?" She smiled at him and shrugged, he nodded at Addison who was sat by her side and movedto look over her chart.

Addison watched Callie closely who was watching Alex even closer. She saw initial the suspicion in Callie's eyes, the wariness, the apprehension and it was all expected but they were making progress thankfully, she was making progress. Alex was the first guy that Callie had allowed to come and go in her room as he pleased. She wondered how Callie would go if she told her friend that she had to leave for a moment leaving her with Alex. There was no way she was going to try it, not yet anyway and not after yesterday.

_**She was running, the cold ground beneath her numb feet. She was cold, so, so cold. And it was dark suffocatingly so but she was running. She ran through the trees, thick with foliage scratching her, ripping her skin as she clamoured through them. She could hear her own breath escaping out of her quivering, blue lips in short, wheezy gasps. She could hear her heart beating through her chest, deafening thuds echoing in her head. Her body was frozen; she was sweating and shivering all at once the cool air freezing her body. But she still ran. **_

_**Faster...faster...faster...**_

_**The word chanted through her head, only that word. Her mind had stopped long ago there was no time to think, there wasn't time to decide or to think just to run, just to escape, just to hide.**_

_**Faster...faster ...faster...faster...faster...faster**_

_**The tears rained faster and harder down her face silently dripping from her chin. She abruptly screamed hoarsely and threw her hands out in front of her body as she suddenly tumbled to the ground, her ankle rolled and lying on a grotesque angle. She stopped, she stopped running, she stopped moving, the beating stopped, she stopped breathing. She prayed. She begged and pleaded.**_

_**Be silent, be invisible...be silent ...be invisible **_

_**She slowly raised her head, not making a sound but when her head was high enough she raised her gaze ahead and gulped. A glint of metal caught her eye and her blood ran cold. She had to get the knife.**_

_**She lurched her body forward and crawled along the hard, uneven earth, the rocks, sticks and bark alone skinned her knees and palms. She stretched out a bleeding hand to reach the knife...a weapon, a defense ...something. **_

_**And then she stopped ...and she could hear it; a deep laugh, a pure evil, malicious laugh dripping with malevolence. She stopped and raised her head and there he was, he looked down on her, at his feet with his penetrating, beady black eyes. **_

"_**Callie?" Her neck snapped sideways and her eyes widened when she saw Mark. She tried to speak his name, tried to call for him but her throat wouldn't work. Her voice...it was gone. She gulped like a goldfish for a few seconds,**_

"_**What are you doing Callie? What is this? I mean you're not even fighting..What are you doing?" Mark stared at her looking down at her with nothing short of a disgusted glare,**_

"_**Giving up Callie?" She turned the opposite way to see George standing watching her. He looked across her, over her towards Mark.**_

"_**She's good at that" She wanted to scream to him, scream at Mark not to listen to George, to help her, to save her but she couldn't. His face, the look on his face, he was disgusted, sickened by her.**_

_**She tried to scream again, over and over but nothing came out of her mouth. Then the others were there Addison, Christina, Owen, Derek, Alex, her parents the chief. She closed her eyes trying to shut them out, trying to quieten them trying to escape their words,**_

_**"****You're disgusting Callie"**_

**_"Who the hell would want you, look at you"_**

**_" What the hell is wrong with you Callie"_**

**_"Calliope what have you done? You can't give us a moment of peace, Can you?" _**

_**The darkness consumed her and the last thing she saw were a pair of merciless black eyes before she screamed in pain.**_

**Callie gasped and threw her body upright. Her eyes watered and her throat burned as she screamed in reflex. A pain had cut right through her chest and another had sliced through her thigh and there was a smaller pain in her hand. She looked around and slowly she realised where she was. She wasn't on the ground, she wasn't cold, it wasn't dark. She was in hospital; her hospital, Seattle Gra—Addison, Christina...where were they? She looked around ..the door was closed...but the one to the bathroom was ajar. She was alone...she was...her breathing quickened, her heart began to beat erratically and it was echoed on the beeping machine by the side of the bed. Tears ran down her face, her body was frozen. She could see the emergency help button it was literally five, ten centre metres away from her right hand. But she couldn't move, she couldn't get her fingers to move, to reach for them. Where was Addison and Christina where was everyone, **

**where was he? **

**Under the bed,a cold was of horror washed over her chilling her. Her wide eyes watered as she refused to blink and they snapped towards the bathroom inspecting the door for movement. Her hands were violently shaking and the insistent beeping was increasing in tempo and volume. A noise sounded from behind her and this time she did scream and it burned the inside of her throat, sobs followed as Callie lost control of her breathing her head moving side to side searching for the source. Shecouldn't breathe, she was choking all over again. **

_**His hands around her neck, no air, suffocating. **_

**She closed her eyes and shook her head causing a pain to erupt in her head. Suddenly the door flew open, her eyes following and a concerned, harried looking Alex Karev rushed in, **

"**Callie...Callie, What's wrong...Cal what's going on?" She reached for him, stretching her trembling arms out and he grabbed her hand,**

"**Don't leave" the words were quiet and pleading,**

"**I'm here Callie, it's ok...it's ok you're safe, you're safe" Her eyes moved from his face to the bathroom. He followed her gaze and then turned to the various others who had entered the room after him,**

"**Someone check the bathroom" He commanded and somebody scurried towards the bathroom, **

"**Nobody's here Doctor Karev" Alex fixed his eyes back onto Callie's ashen face,**

"**See Cal it's okay, nobody's here, you're safe, you're safe alright" She nodded but increased her grip on his arm. It was then that Addison skidded into the room,**

"**Callie!" She gasped,**

"**Oh my God, Honey I'm so sorry, I...I just, just stepped out for a seco...Oh God Sweetie I'm so sorry" Tears fell from Addison's eyes as the woman filling with guilt took in her hyperventilating friend. Alex didn't spare her a look focusing on Callie.**

"**Callie..breathe, I need you to breathe. Ok with me" Addison watched Alex take deep deliberate breaths and slowly but surely Callie began to pace hers along with his,**

"**Good...that's good Cal, it's ok" **

**From that moment the more Alex Karev was in Callie's room the better and more relaxed Callie felt. She had refused to let go of Alex for the rest of the afternoon who in turn ordered a chair for himself and sat by her side the entire afternoon. He had been the one to ease her back down into the bed and to reinsert her drip. The challenge had been getting Callie to let go of him long enough for him to move around the other side of the bed. He had also been the one to hold her hand and talk to her, in hope of distracting her while Addison checked her thigh and her stitches on her chest; of which she had pulled three. **

**Addison, wrought with guilt, hadn't left the room yet swearing she never would. The only times she would exit the door was if Alex or Christina was with her and she was leaving to talk to Mark. Update him, let him know how she was. She'd never seen him more distraught or distressed. She hadn't realised how in love he was with Callie, the best friend of both of them. The fact that now she refused to be in the same room as him cut him deeply. **

As Alex scribbled in her chart he turned to look at her,

"Cal, can I ask you something?" The woman nodded from the bed,

"Why don't you want to see Mark?" Addison choked on ...nothing and her eyes widened at Alex. What the hell was he doing? But again he didn't spare her a glance as he watched Callie standing beside the bed. Callie avoided the younger mans eyes, but the silence quickly grew and she knew that she couldn't avoid him any longer, not him, not the questions.

"I...I don't know Alex..I ..I just I'm scared...I mean..I" Alex leant on the bed next to her side looking down at her, her voice was so vulnerable, so fragile and Addison watched Callie. She'd never heard her so broken,

"You're allowed to be scared Cal, that's normal...but it's Mark's job...all of ours as well, to help make _you_ feel better and not scared. As he opened his mouth to speak again she spoke, so quietly he leaned forward,

"What if he...he hates me" She had whispered the question and both Addison and Alex felt themselves freeze.

"Hon what do you mean?" The red head asked,

"Why on earth would he hate you Cal?" Alex questioned at the same time,

"I ...I just...look guys I don't really want to talk about this anymore, I'm tired ok...I, please"

Alex stared at her for a second before nodding,

"Ok...but we'll talk later yeah?" She nodded and Addison moved out of the room as Derek gestured her, not that either Callie or Alex could see,

"Will you stay?" Alex nodded and walked around the other side of the bed stealing Addison's seat,

"Won't move a muscle okay" Callie nodded,

"Thank you"

"No worries Callie now get some sleep, I'll be here when you wake up"

**Hey, what do you think?**

**Reviews -pleaseee **

**Nina xxx  
**


	11. Chapter 11

**Don't say victim**

**Chapter 11**

* * *

Mark Sloan had been sitting in the cafeteria for five minutes. Addison had been hassling him to go an eat for over an hour now. She had been on his case about looking after himself more and more in the last couple of days and finally he had given in and walked down the hall to the cafeteria. He had ordered himself a healthy lunch and had eaten all of two bites before he let out an exasperated, exhausted and frustrated sigh and pushed the tray away.

It had been over a week since the night he refused to allow himself to think about, she had been awake for nearly five days so far. She was healing slowly, very slowly but both Alex and Christina had assured him that she was in fact healing, physically anyway. It had been five days since Mark had kissed her and even then it had been a chaste kiss on her bruised, grazed and swollen forehead. Five days since he'd held her hand and five days since he had been into her room. Five days felt like ten years and he was having withdrawal. Consumed by his thoughts of his broken Callie, and his seclusion from her room he didn't notice the employees of Seattle Grace watching him closely, his every move. Doctors, Nurses, janitors, surgeons and the lunch ladies alike all watching him, waiting ..for something. He also didn't see the interns who had been given a break from being in the hospital spotlight and they were rather unsure if they liked it or not. He missed George's eyes flickering his way more than often as well as Meredith and Izzie's. They looked lonely, unhappy, and incomplete now that they were missing two fifths of their group. Mark did notice something else however about ten minutes into his lunch,

When Derek Shepherd ran through the doors of the cafeteria, Mark looked up as if almost sensing him and pushed and quickly stood up, something was wrong, something had happened. He began to run towards Derek who shook his head making Mark frown and come to a stop.

"It's nothing like that, it's alright" Mark looked at him questioningly,

"Callie's parents are here" Mark paled feeling his throat constrict and he almost groaned before turning and beginning to walk back towards Callie's room. Derek walked alongside him and as they neared her room they could already hear loud voices,

There was yelling almost screaming actually screeching would be more accurate and all Mark could see from the window was Mrs. Torres yelling and screaming at her daughter. While he couldn't understand the Spanish that was flying from her lips he could understand the upset, tortured and pained expression fixing itself on Callie's face.

Mark stood beside Derek and the pair stood in front of the crowd that was beginning to form watching the scene in front of them unfold but when the tears began falling Mark couldn't hack it anymore there was no way he could stand there and let her go through anything else. Not when he finally had some control in what happened to her so he pushed the doors to her room open and walked in.

"Mr and Mrs Torres I'm sorry I'm going to have to ask you to step out please"

"_Sloan"_ Mark was surprised that the patriarch of the Torres family remembered his name,

"I'm sorry but her stats are rising and after her surgery Callie really can't be under any more stress" Mark looked at the pair and Callie watched all three of them closely,

"me has decepcionado Calliope" Adrianna spat towards Callie before striding out of the room. Callie looked down lowering her eyes, breathing heavily,

"Callie" She stared at him her chest rising and sinking erratically almost in time with her irregularly fast heartbeat.

When he moved closer, he wanted to comfort her, to hold her and make sure she knew it was going to be okay, she jerked away from him physically pulling her entire body away from him. He watched her face grimace at her actions from the pain but he didn't dare move forward,

"Cal breathe, breathe hon, you're alright" It was incredibly hard to stop a patient hyperventilating without being able to get closer to them, to touch them, assure them it was okay. And it was even harder to watch Callie lose control of her body, she was so composed, so directed normally and now...it was too hard to watch, too hard to watch her suffer and hurt and not be able to help her, fix her, hold her. As Alex, Addison and Christina together moved back into the room Mark stumbled backwards out of it. He met Callie's eyes when she raised them to meet his, they were wet with tears and they'd lost their normal sparkle, they were dull, haunted and he couldn't do anything to fix it.

Little did he know the heartache, the pain, the complicated mess that this all was, was about to increase tenfold.

Mark escaped the whole scene; all of a sudden it was too much. He felt as out of control of the whole situation as one person could be. He'd gone from being Callie's rock, her best friend and for a very brief time, her boyfriend to the man who wasn't allowed in her room, who she didn't feel safe with, who had left her to be...he shook his head. It wasn't his fault. And yet as many times as he'd told himself that, as Derek had told him, as Addison and Owen had told him he still just couldn't quite get himself to truly relieve himself of the responsibility.

Mark slid down the wall of the male toilets. He was lost; he'd been walking around this hospital lost, meaninglessly for the last week or so. Waiting,

He hated waiting.

He hated waiting, helplessly unable to do anything.

He sat there for a couple of minutes before breathing deeply and moving out to the bathroom leaning against the sink,

"Why were we not called? We're her parents why weren't we the first people rang?" Mark looked up to see a furious Esteban Torres glowering at him in the mirror. Mark stood upright and turned bracing himself,

"You're not her emergency contact Sir, I am and Christina Yang is her secondary contact. We're here Sir it made more sense, Callie is mine and I'm hers. She's my best friend" It had made perfect sense in his head, but listening to the words he'd just blurted out he couldn't help but think he was about to be in even more trouble,

"HER BEST FRIEND! Then why aren't you in there with her then? Why is it some other man that is comforting my daughter while you're out doing God knows what _Dr Sloan" _Marks fists tightened at his side, he knew it. He felt more useless than anybody could tell him he was, but hearing it from someone else, her father none the less was different. Mark spoke quietly,

"She was assaulted Mr. Torres everybody deals with it in different ways and if this is Callie's way then I will wait. I will wait until she is ready for me to be in the same room as her, I will wait until she is ready to talk to me. I will wait and I will be here for her every minute of every day. I won't let her down, I won't leave her to fend for herself in her worst moments I think too much of that has happened already, don't you agree?" Esteban's eyes narrowed at Mark's accusation,

"You can't let people recover from this type of thing like this, you need to force her to talk, Callie doesn't deal this way. You need to go in there or she'll never let you in there and we certainly won't be leaving either Dr. We have to make sure our daughter gets back on her feet don't we? Especially if no one else is going to do it "

"What before you disappear from the face of the earth again, before she doesn't hear from you for another year or something?" Mark knew he should stop, you don't tell a parent that they're doing a terrible job and you certainly don't tell the very powerful, very influential Esteban Torres that he was doing a crap job at parenting and yet here he was yelling at the man.

"You left her with nothing, you deserted her when she needed you most and I was there for her then and I'll be there for her now. I'm not going to force her to do anything, there's another thing she's been through a bit too much of, you really think that's the best way to get Callie better?" The man reddened further,

"You forced her to move out of her home, she was forced to take a demotion, now this, not to mention the constant manipulation from you and your wife!"

"You do not talk to me like this boy"

"WHAT YOU HAVEN'T HEARD IT BEFORE, YOU DON'T TREAT PEOPLE LIKE THAT, YOU DON'T TREAT CALLIE LIKE THAT! You know I have stuck up for you time and time again, told Callie that she's lucky to have you and let me tell you she loves you so much. And then you do this and now I get it. She's not lucky, if this is what she grew up in, constant criticism, constant pressure, you and her mother always telling her she's not good enough, JESUS SHE BECAME A DOCTOR FOR YOU! TO IMPRESS YOU! AND WHAT DO YOU DO NOW, YOU AND HER MOTHER JUST GO AROUND TELLING HER THAT SHE'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH, THAT SHE CHOSE THE WRONG FIELD, MADE BAD DECISIONS!"

It was safe to say that the bathroom had been cleared a while ago but the yelling had obviously attracted attention and his voice was obviously loud enough to hear outside as Derek and Owen moved into the room,

"YOU GIVE HER SUCH A HARD TIME, YOU TOOK EVERYTHING AWAY FROM HER BECAUSE WHAT? BECAUSE HER HUSBAND CHEATED ON HER? BECAUSE SHE GOT MARRIED IN VEGAS? BECAUSE SHE GOT DIVORCED? SHE NEEDED YOU SO MUCH AND WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU? WHERE WERE YOU? CAUSE I WAS HERE AND I KNOW THAT YOU DIDN'T CALL I KNOW THAT YOU DIDN'T SUPPORT HER, NO YOU TOOK AWAY HER SAFETY, HER HOME AND HER DIGNITY. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU DID TO HER SO DON'T COME IN HERE AND THINK THAT YOU HAVE ANY RIGHT IN THE WORLD TO TELL ME HOW I SHOULD BE LOOKING AFTER HER OR WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE CAUSE IT WILL ALWAYS BE A HELL OF A LOT MORE THAN YOU!" Esteban Torres simply looked at him and for half a second Mark swore the man was going to punch him out, the vein in the older man's head was bulging dangerously and Mark would swear his eyebrow twitched, but he did nothing. The older man simply glared at him before walking out, he walked passed Mark and the other two men and left the room, left an angry Mark.

"FUUUUUCK" Mark swung around and slammed his fist into the wall beside him,

"DAMN IT" he clutched his hand which was now bleeding before he turned back to Derek and Owen.

* * *

Christina Yang had been paged exactly twelve minutes ago and Addison and Alex sat by Callie's side. Alex was flittering around, filling in her chart. They'd finally got her breathing under control and eased Callie safely back down in bed. She knew it was now, now that she had to tell them, she wanted to wait for Christina, but she didn't know how she'd react, in reality she didn't know how Addison or Alex would react either. Ideally she wanted Mark, she wanted to tell Mark everything, wanted him to hold her and tell her that it would be okay, that she was safe and that he would look after her. She wanted Mark to be everything that _he _hadn't been. The other he. But there was no way she was going to risk it she didn't want to Mark to look at her like he had, say the things that he had said. She knew she had to talk now though or she wouldn't ever be able to say it.

"It happened before" Her voice was quiet but Addison looked up at Callie from her seat next to her and Alex turned from filling her drug cabinet, they both froze puzzled and yet as they turned to look at Callie a sinking feeling settling in their stomachs told them something was about to get a whole lot worse,

"What do you mean Cal?" Alex questioned softly

"This...this..me being...this, it all, two years ago, I" Callie broke off unable to form the words as tears invaded her eyes and ran down her pale cheeks,

"You were assaulted two years ago?" Addison asked her eyes wide. Alex and Addison just looked at Callie waiting for an answer not believing what they had just heard, Callie's confession had made the feeling well in the pits of their stomachs intensify and bubble up into their chests while at the same time made everything else make sense. Addison just looked at her best friend for a moment taking in Callie's shame. She watched the woman avoid their eyes and wrap her arms around herself as much as she could as if she was shielding herself from their reactions. Addison wondered if Callie had told anyone, she doubted it. They hadn't been friends at that time, she'd barely known her but then again it was around the time she was with George, maybe he had known. It was all Addison could do to stand up and perch on the side of Callie's bed before stretching out her arms. It took all of two seconds for Callie to collapse into them and Addison tightened her grasp on her best friend, as the hardcore orthopaedic surgeon began to cry in earnest letting out two years of pent up emotion.

* * *

**What do you think? Please let me know...**

**And yes I know, I know I'm making it even worse for Callie but ... well wait and see :D **

**And thank you sooo much to everyone who had reviewed this story it helps soo much to write!**

**Nina xx**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**Don't say victim **

_"It happened before" Her voice was quiet but Addison looked up at Callie from her seat next to her and Alex turned from filling her drug cabinet, they both froze puzzled and yet as they turned to look at Callie a sinking feeling settling in their stomachs told them something was about to get a whole lot worse,_

_"What do you mean Cal?" Alex questioned softly_

_"This...this..me being...this, it all, two years ago, I" Callie broke off unable to form the words as tears invaded her eyes and ran down her pale cheeks,_

_"You were assaulted two years ago?" Addison asked her eyes wide. Alex and Addison just looked at Callie waiting for an answer not believing what they had just heard, Callie's confession had made the feeling well in the pits of their stomachs intensify and bubble up into their chests while at the same time made everything else make sense. Addison just looked at her best friend for a moment taking in Callie's shame. She watched the woman avoid their eyes and wrap her arms around herself as much as she could as if she was shielding herself from their reactions. Addison wondered if Callie had told anyone, she doubted it. They hadn't been friends at that time, she'd barely known her but then again it was around the time she was with George, maybe he had known. It was all Addison could do to stand up and perch on the side of Callie's bed before stretching out her arms. It took all of two seconds for Callie to collapse into them and Addison tightened her grasp on her best friend, as the hardcore orthopaedic surgeon began to cry in earnest letting out two years of pent up emotion._

Addison looked down into the confused, hurt and vulnerable eyes of her best friend. She couldn't think, she wasn't entirely sure what was happening. Had Callie really just told them that she had been hurt before...raped before? Addison felt sick, she was in shock. She looked up at Alex who was staring at the two women on the bed with wide, stunned eyes. He met her eyes and she saw the same disbelief, the same horror, which was welling within her, in his eyes. Sobs were wracking Callie's frame, it was real, this was all real, a real, true nightmare. Finally Callie's cries slowly lightened and she grabbed the tissues that Alex had placed before them on the table. She pulled her body away from Addison's a little but kept a tight grasp on her hand. Addison felt her eyes well up looking at her broken, devastated friend,

"Sweetie wh...why didn't you tell us? Did you tell anyone, Cal hon did you get treated?" Callie shook her head in confusion as her hazy mind struggled to keep up with the questions. The woman cringed and fought another onslaught of tears from overwhelming her again,

"I went to a clinic" the words were spoken so softly that Alex stepped forward to hear her,

"why didn't you come to us? Callie did George know?" With the last four words of Addison's question a sudden painful gasp escaped Callie's lips and they watched as Callie clutched her chest. Alex moved forward on the opposite side than Addison as Callie's heart rate began to rise.

"Callie" Callie's hopeless and shameful eyes slowly rose to meet his,

"What happened Cal?" Callie looked down, unsure of herself, embarrassed it would seem.

"He couldn't...he wouldn't ..look at me.." She cursed herself as her voice broke within the first sentence. She struggled to get her mouth to function properly to form the words,

"He saw the bruises and cuts and..and what happened and he couldn't look at me...he..he was disgusted..he was surprised and then he was angry..he was so angry. He kept saying why I didn't do what he told me to do and that I should have walked a different way and that I shouldn't have walked away from him when he offered me a lift and he said that I shouldn't have started a first and..he couldn't look at me or touch me or..." Callie broke off breathless after recounting her traumatic memory for the first time. Addison and Alex just watched her, unable to move, to form words, they were shocked. After a moment Alex swallowed and broke through the deafening silence,

"Did he take you to a hospital Callie" Again Callie bit back a sob and wiped her eyes with the tissue that was balled tightly in her hand.

"I went and had a shower, I felt so...guilty and disgusting. I scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed so hard. I was bleeding...my back was...I couldn't breathe, my head...hurt so much and then George was drinking but he was still so angry at me so I went to bed. I must have just passed out cause I didn't wake up until the next morning and George had already left...gone to work" She hadn't looked either of them in the eye since she'd began to let them in, began her story,

"Callie" Tears fell from Addison's eyes now; she couldn't believe that her best friend had been dealing with this for nearly two years. Alone.

"Please tell me that you didn't spend that day alone" Callie didn't answer her instead she gripped the sheets,

"When he came home, George, he took me to the clinic and I got checked out ...they said I was supposed to go to the hospital but I...couldn't ...I couldn't go I was too..it..everything. And George wouldn't look at me ..he barely talked to me ...and it hurt so mu—" Her voice broke and she avoided Addison when she reached for her instead clearing her throat and continuing,

"It hurt me so much and then..two weeks later..I got holidays from the chief and then two weeks later he cheated on me with Izzie and he was always with her and Meredith and she was so perfect and pretty and beautiful and happy and I had all these bruises and cuts and then..." Callie ran her shaking hands over her face,

"Then I found out I was ...I"

"What Sweetie" And for the first time Callie looked up and looked into Addison's eyes praying that her friend would understand,

"pregnant" she had whispered it so quietly, Addison just stared at her and Alex gulped,

"I didn't know what to do Addy, I didn't ..." Callie was crying, sobbing and trying to speak all at once it was if she was almost trying to justify everything to Addison, trying to make her believe her, pleading with her,

"I had the test and I was lying on the couch with it and I cried so much and I knew that George was with Izzie and that...that..the baby..the baby wasn't his. It had to be..."

"And he said...he said I was crazy ...he said that I would be crazy to raise the baby he said that it would be so stupid and that I was so selfish and he said that he wouldn't stay if I did and..he said I'd hate the baby, he said I'd hate it and that he already hated it so much and he said so many things and I ...I believed him...I be..I" She was gasping and starting to hyperventilate again. Addison stood up further and rubbed her back,

"Breathe sweetheart, breath hon" Slowly she managed to get her breath back,

"I didn't know what to do, i...he kept saying all of these things and then ..then he left, he left ...and he cheated and he kissed her and he had sex with her and I...I went ...went to a clinic and I ...I ...killed I...I murdered...I was so scared and he left and I thought he would love me...It thought he would come back and tell me...tell me that it wasn't my fault but he didn't ...he never...I was so stupid, so dumb, so stupid... I ..he never came back and I hated myself so much" she gasped for breath once again and then turned to Addison and Alex,

"I can't have Mark ..harte me I ..he can't ...I can't..do that again okay I can't ...I just I can't do...it..I" Callie dissolved into tears,

"Oh sweetie" Addison still crying as well now climbed onto the bed with her and wrapped her arms around her and for the first time Callie didn't pull right away from her, she let Addison hold her, let her comfort her. But Alex didn't.

He moved closer to the two women and laid his hand on Callie's shoulder pulling her back a little bit and she turned towards him. He gently brushed her tears away with his thumbs before speaking with a forceful voice,

"George is a dickhead, he is the most stupid, immature boy on this planet, Callie what he did to you ...how he, the fact that he expected you to try and make him forgive you is outrageous and I'm disgusted in—" He stopped when Callie pulled away from him,

"At him Cal, not at you. Not at you, none of this, none of it was your fault understand. Cal you have to tell Mark though, He's so scared, he's never been more frazzled and snappy and impatient" Addison nodded and agreed,

"He's right hon and Cal Mark is not going to hate you. He will be the complete opposite to George, Callie he loves you so much. I see that Cal you need each other and he's not George, he's not George. He'll be there for you, he loves you. Will you talk to him?" Callie stared at them both for a second letting their words, their advice wash over her. She knew, on some level she knew that he wasn't going to be like George. But then she'd never expected her ex husband to act the way he had either. She didn't know what to expect anymore. But she trusted the both of them and slowly, hardly realising she was doing it, she nodded at them,

"Ok...ok ..I want..I do.. I wanted to tell him... I was ...I was just so scared that he would think the same that..he..." Callie stumbled over her words,

"He won't Callie this is Mark we're talking about ...he's not going to. I promise" Addison assured her,

"can you tell him?"She asked causing the other two to frown,

"What" Alex asked,

"Please can one of you tell him, please I can't not this..I'll talk with him but ..I don't ...I can't ..I don't want to say it again, please...please" Before she realised it Addison was nodding at her friend, she didn't want to hear the vulnerability in Callie's voice anymore. Alex spoke up, knowing that Addison couldn't leave her friend right at that moment,

"I'll tell him...Cal I'll tell him but I have to do it now" Callie nodded looking up at him like he was going to save the world,

"Ok" She looked up towards him puffy eyed,

"Could you just...leave out the baby thing.. I can't ..I have to tell him that bit, I.." Alex nodded and caressed her cheek brushing away her tears again,

"Sure Cal, can I get you anything before" Callie shook her head,

"No...no Alex thank you you've done so much already"

"Anytime Cal" She nodded and Alex glanced at Addison his face hardening before he turned and walked out of the room closing the door behind him,

Callie looked at Addison for a second before breaking down and collapsing into her arms again Addison rested her chin on top of Callie's head her heart aching for her best friend as her tears started up again.

* * *

Dr. George O'Malley had been in the pit the whole day, it was hell. He was fed up, it had been the quietest morning in the pit he had ever seen and all he had wanted to do was to leave and go home. At that time the emergency area was quite busy, he was working with a patient with Owen and Izzie who had been involved in one hell of a motor vehicle accident. He could hear Meredith speaking with Bailey to another woman, while Derek and Christina were discussing a patient at the desk. As he finished stitching up the man's leg he was interrupted by a familiar but angry voice,

Alex stood at the entrance to the emergency room a frown etched into his face and his fists tight at his sides. He had managed to work himself up into a good fury on the way down to find Mark Sloan and one glance at George O'Malley and Alex felt something inside of him snap. He'd never liked the boy, he was always trying too hard or doing something else incredibly annoying, they just clashed. And as Alex stood there his body tensed and his eyes narrowed, focused on George like prey Callie's words flowed through his mind. The guilt, the shame the embarrassment that still dripped from every word she had spoken made him angrier. How could he have just left her?

"_I went to a clinic" _Alex shuddered thinking of Callie in a clinic, a white clinic by herself aborting her child. He shook his head, he couldn't imagine it. This was Callie, the woman who wanted it all the one who was amazing with children and loved them to pieces and Alex watched George realising the bastard held one hundred percent responsibility. He had broken her down so much that she had aborted her baby, her child just to try and get him to love her. He had used her, manipulated her and then he had cheated, with Izzie nonetheless. Alex felt a wave of hot anger flush over his body, the hairs on his arms prick up and his whole body shook as he stepped forward towards George.

"O'Malley can I see you for a minute" Izzie and George looked up in surprise at the sound of Alex's voice. They'd never heard it like it before. George looked at him for a second realising Alex was upset,

"Actually-" But before George could continue the tensed man interrupted him,

"Just step out here for a minute" George went to open his mouth again but it was Owen who cut him off this time,

"Go O'Malley, just be quick" George nodded before throwing Alex a glare. He swapped his position with Izzie and moved away tearing off his gloves. Alex turned not going to wait for him but George caught up before he was half way across the room,

"What the hell Karev, you're going to cost me a surgery" And that was all it took. Eleven words from George O'Malley made Alex snap once and for all and before he knew it he had swung around towards George and punched him hard in the jaw. There was a loud cracking sound as George fell to the floor,

"KAREV" It was Owen's voice, shocked, angry, annoyed, surprised. But it wasn't enough to stop Alex who looked down at the small man fury blinding his thoughts and vision as he leant down and grabbed George by the collar yanking him up. Curtains were yanked across on all sides blocking the patients view's of the latest hospital debacle. Derek and Christina ran forward as did Owen, Izzie, Bailey and Mark from where he was in a conference room dealing with a patient. He swung the door shut and along with Owen and Derek grabbed Alex by the arms trying to wrench him away from the struggling, smaller man.

"Alex you're choking him!" A distressed Izzie all but yelled,

"ALEX NOW" this time someone did yell and it was Meredith but even she couldn't get Alex's fingers to lessen their hold around George's neck

"Let him go mate, I don't know what he did but let him go" Owen tried and as he opened his mouth again to add to his statement a louder, voice sounded through the chaotic room,

"ENOUGH" Alex dropped him and George clutched his throat as he fell to the ground smacking his head on it. Izzie whose mouth was hanging open in shock turned to Alex still struggling in the other men's hold,

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU" Alex ignored Izzie and was pulled back further as George began to get up,

"The four of you in my office now" He spoke to the four men before turning back to everyone,

"Everyone else look after their patients, O'Malley can you walk and function" Alex rolled his eyes as George coughed and spat out blood,

"You come too" George nodded before turning to Alex,

"What the hell is your problem" Alex launched at him again and the others grabbed the out of control man literally wrestling him to the chief's office. Once the door was closed Alex Karev let it all out,

"I DON'T KNOW WHO THE FUCK YOU THINK YOU ARE O'MALLEY" Alex yelled moving closer to George

"WHO I AM WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" George exclaimed. The next words Alex spoke were deadly quiet,

"I found out all about two years ago with Callie you bastard"

"What about Callie?" Mark interjected confused,

"Why don't you ask her dearest ex husband" Alex said to him and Mark considered him for a second before turning to George,

"I have patien-" It was the chief who dismissed his lame excuse,

"Sit down Dr. O'Malley" George obediently followed his request and slid down into a chair away from Alex,

"Right now what the hell is going on?"

"What's wrong with Callie, what happened two years ago?" Mark questioned again becoming increasingly irritated and anxious and in want of an answer. Alex looked at George raising his eyebrow,

"You want to tell him or should I?" George flushed and looked away and they all watched a tear run down his face,

"Water words won't work, I think they'll beat the shit out of you anyway" George

"That's enough Karev! O'Malley go back to the pit and get Stevens or Grey to do an x-ray to check on everything" George stood up avoiding everybody's eyes and quickly made his escape scrambling out of the room,

"What the hell was that about Karev?" Alex turned to Mark who spoke before Alex could open his mouth,

"You found out something about Callie?" Alex nodded,

"Yeah" There a pregnant pause in which time Alex realised he was just about to tell Mark Sloan that his best friend had been raped before and then was—

Alex's thoughts were cut off by Mark's impatient voice,

"well?" Alex looked towards the older doctor,

"You're not going to like it" He warned him,

"It doesn't look like it" Alex sighed,

"Alex—"

"Two years ago Callie was assaulted" The words blurted,

_Oh welldone Karev, Just how you wanted to ease him into the news._

It was only when he looked back up that Alex realised the four other men in the room were staring at him,

"What?" Mark's voice was something Alex had never heard before, like he had knocked all the air out of Mark, winded him, with the words he had spoken. Alex inhaled a deep breath before continuing,

"Two years ago she and George had a fight and he drove away after she refused to get in the car with him...As far as I know she was grabbed by a guy and ...I don't know the specifics but she was pretty beat up" the other's jaws literally hung open and a heavy silence fell over them as they took in the news,

"And this was when she was with O'Mallie?" Alex nodded in response and Mark sat for a second before he turned to Alex his face painted with a range of expression impossible to decipher,

"Why didn't I know about this, how?..How the hell didn't I know about it?"Mark exclaimed at the same time the chief let out a long groan making everyone turn to him and he shook his head but the attention was turned to Alex as he spoke again,

"That's where O'Mallie comes in"

"I"m confused" Owen admitted a frown on his face,

"Long story short he made Callie believe that it was her fault that if she hadn't fought with him it wouldn't of happened or some other bullshit like that"

"Well what hospital was she treated at?" the chief asked Alex,

"She wasn't"

"WHAT!" Alex turned to Mark again,

"She didn't get treatment. O'Mallie made her feel that bad that she scrubbed herself until she was bleeding and I think probably passed out the night it happened. When she woke up he was gone and that night he took her to a clinic who advised her to get hospital treatment but she didn't. He left her along for days and there's plenty more. And then all the stuff that we knew about comes in"

"What do you mean" Derek asked,

"George drank, he got closer with Izzie, he slept with Izzie, he told Callie she was worthless and..." Alex looked at Mark,

"You need to talk to her there's more..but she didn't want me to tell you, she needs to tell you that herself but there's more and it's worse"

"That son of a bitch" Mark exclaimed and Alex nodded in agreement.

"I don't know dude I just...I'm sorry chief but seeing her ...tell me that ..seeing, she still feels guilty, she still feels ashamed...dude she's disgusted with herself and that is so wrong, she shouldn't..." He trailed off and looked around at the occupants in the room who were four very angry men,

"Will she let me see her?" Alex looked at him considering everything that had happened in the last hour or so,

"Yeah I think she will look Mark I think she more worried that you would hate her like George did and n—"

"I would never do that" Mark's voice was quiet and tense and Alex nodded,

"I know but it's how she learned that guys or whoever she was with would act or whatever, Addison and I told her that you wouldn't ever do that to her, that there was no way that you would blame her but...you've got a lot of work to do" Mark nodded understanding,

"But yes I think she would let you in now if she isn't asleep she was exhausted when I left" Mark nodded and stood he went to walk out of the room but stopped and moved back to stand in front of Alex and stuck out his hand,

Alex looked at it for a second and then took it shaking it firmly. Never would anyone have thought that Alex Karev and Mark Sloan would have been friends, they really were too alike.

"Thank you Alex...for everything" Alex nodded understanding what he was saying smiled grimly at him before Mark moved out of the room completely this time.

* * *

Ten minutes later Mark stood outside of Callie's room he had forced himself to walk slower than usual and actually think about what he was going to do before he burst into her room and proclaimed his love for her. Mark pushed open the door to Callie's room slowly, making Addison look up from where she had her head lying on the bed. Mark took in her puffy eyes and red face and then her hand that was still joined with Callie's. At the sight of Mark Addison began to tear up all over again. Mark smiled at her before his eyes moved to Callie, it was the closest he'd been to her in a long time, what felt like forever and all he wanted was to wrap his arms around her body. He took in the woman feeling his heart pull. While her eyes were closed it was clear that she had been crying as well and even while she was sleeping she looked exhausted. The bruises on her face had begun to fade but were still a gross mix of painful colours, she had the best racoon eyes he'd ever seen, in fact he was surprised the chief hadn't asked if he could document them in the journals. And he hadn't even seen the rest of her body. He hadn't seen her burns either, not for nearly a week since he'd been in there. The only female plastics surgeon they had in Seattle Grace had been managing them and Callie was even uncomfortable with her touching her. Yes, Mark knew he had a lot of work to do. But he had his foot in the door, literally and that was a giant leap forward. Mark Sloan didn't give up easily on anything, but family, people he loved, anything he loved. Not much could deter Mark from giving up on anything like that and there was not a chance in hell he wasn't going to fight for Callie. Fight for her trust, fight for her friendship, justice and her love. He would fight alright and George O'Malley along with several other individuals should most definitely keep one eye open.

**Reviewww! Please I really have no idea what you guys are going to think but I wrote this a long time ago and so I didn't really want to change it. I actually wrote this bit first and wrote around it so let me know **

**Thanks **

**Nina Xx**


	13. Chapter 13

**Don't say victim**

**Chapter 13:**

Mark and Addison had sat by Callie's bed for just over thirty minutes before the bruised woman began to stir. Mark had been raking his eyes over every part of her that he could see and taking in her discoloured skin as well as the fact that half her body was covered in gauze. The first sign that Mark got that she was waking was her hand twitching slightly, followed closely by her body tensing and moving slightly. However when she began to almost whimper in her sleep and the frown on her forehead increased Mark realised she wasn't actually waking up, she was having a nightmare. It worried him watching Addison as she reached over Callie and brushed the woman's dark hair away from her face tenderly before rubbing her arm gently,

"Callie" Addison called quietly to her friend,

"How often does this happen Ad" Mark whispered,

From the look that passed over Addison's face Mark had no doubt that it occurred every single time Callie went to sleep. His heart ached even more for her as he watched her struggle slowly growing louder almost crying out. Addison slowly woke Callie who couldn't hold the tears back; Addison held her hand tightly slowly settling her friend. When Callie spotted him her eyes widened significantly,

"Mark?" Her voice was timid and shy almost uncertain or wary and ripped through him,

"Hey love" Tears begun to run down her face,

"I'm here Cal, I'm here baby" She began to cry harder and he moved slightly closer but not too much. It wasn't until she held her hand up towards him that he moved to sit beside the bed and he slowly grasped her hand.

"M..Mark" She gasped out between sobs and tried to reach with her other hand for him as well. He stood up gently,

"Cal, shh it's alright, hey you're okay, stay there love you'll hurt your ribs Cal it's alright. I'm here, I'm here Callie I'm not going anywhere." She looked at him trying to read his face and he looked her square in the eyes,

"I'm here Callie, I would never, never ever leave you over this. You hear me never Cal." He wasn't yelling and he spoke gently but with a forceful tone to it begging her to believe him,

"I love you, I still love you Callie. And I'm horrified that O'Malley did nothing, Alex told me love. No treatment, no support" She ducked her head in shame and Addison moved towards the door,

"I'll be right out here hon okay?" Addison moved out of the room,

"Look at me Cal" She raised her eyes back up again,

"I'm not like him. I will be here...every step of the way, I love you" She stared at him still gripping his hand as the tears ran faster,

"Stay with me" She whispered,

"Of course love, I told I'm not going anywhere" She turned slightly towards him,

"I was so scared Mark, I was...I was so scared...I thought..I thought he was going to kill me, I thought I ...I was dying.. I thought.." She broke off into painful sobs again,

"Shh..baby it's over, it's over. He can't hurt you; he can't hurt you Callie alright. He can't touch you, you're going to be ok, I've got you"

"Promise" Her tiny voice was so fragile, vulnerable he knew exactly why Karev nearly knocked O'Malley's head off,

"I promise, I promise Cal. I love you" And just like that she had her best friend in the world back, just like that she had Mark back on her side. Truth told she knew that he had always been on her side and she cursed herself for not letting him in earlier.

"I love too" She said with utter sincerity,

"I love you and I'm sorry..Mark I'm sorry for everything" Mark's head shook fiercely a troubled look in his eyes,

"Nothing, none of this...not one bit is your fault Callie, nothing. Please don't think that" He pleaded with her his voice becoming choked up as she let him raise his hand and brush her tears away,

"Thankyou"

"I'm not doing anything special love, this is normal, this is what should have happened and it's what's going to happen" He gently caressed her bruised cheek,

"Do you want to talk about it Cal?" She shook her head

"I...not yet..not...I can't yet ..I ...I'm sorry but I will..I promise. I will" Mark frowned shaking his head,

"Cal you don't have to do anything that you don't want alright, you don't have to do anything that you don't want to do ok" And he stayed. He stayed in the chair beside her bed, both his hands encompassing her smaller one. He didn't move a muscle and once Mark had assured Callie she was safe she drifted back off to sleep and Mark would be there to wake her from her nightmares. The chief had visited at some point and Mark had quietly organised his extended holiday's to which the chief nodded but said they would talk about it. Mark had no intention of leaving her side now, not for anything.

Around half an hour after Callie had fallen asleep and the chief had been and left the door opened again and Christina Yang walked in a horrible frown on her face seeing her friend was asleep she softened and then smiled at Mark before turning around and walking out. From the concerned Addison, Alex and Owen behind her Mark could only surmise that Christina had just been let in the loop and she was less than happy about it.

Through the window he could see Christina loudly yelling something to Owen who was 'attempting' to calm her down. Watching the young surgeon Mark smiled knowing he'd always have more than one person on his side when it came to Callie's safety. He looked back down at her wishing that the woman he loved so much knew how many people loved her.

* * *

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH HIM" Owen who had barely ever heard Christina swear raised his eyebrows, he'd never seen his girlfriend so furious before and he was worried, for her and for O'Mallie.

"WHAT THE HELL THEY TOLD MER AND I THAT..." She cut off her rant abruptly and turned away,

"I'll be back later" She said starting to walk away,

"Hold on where are you going" Owen called,

"I just need to sort some stuff out" Christina answered,

"Chris, you can't tell th-" She spun back around,

"Yes Alex I know, I'm not an idiot. This isn't really even about Callie...kind of" She tried to explain as she began to leave,

"I'll be back"

"I'll drive you" Said Owen taking her car keys sneakily from her causing her to frown at him,

"It's fin—" He shook his head cutting her off,

"You're a maniac driver at the best of times"

**Reviewww please!  
**

**I wanted to write a bit more to just clear up that while I've written the basic script (and not all of it) I haven't written all the bits surrounding it. So I probably shouldn't have said that it's all written and then take forever and a half to update. :D Sorry for the confusion guys.**

**Any who….**

**Review please! **

**Nina Xx**


	14. Chapter 14

**Don't say victim **

**Chapter 14**

As Owen pulled up to the sidewalk Christina flung the car door open so fast the man driving cringed before swinging his own open to follow her. He ran up the front stairs behind her and walked into the house only to hear her already yelling,

"GEORGE WHERE ARE YOU" Christina heard a muffled yell from upstairs and began to climb the stairs, Owen followed her barely thinking about staying down stairs, he had never seen his girlfriend so angry.

She stormed up the stairs hot fury pulsing through her veins, when she reached the end of the hallway and walked into George's room she stopped. Usually seeing George O'Mallie red and swollen eyed would have caused her to soften maybe just a tad. But the image of the crying man seated between Meredith and Izzie who were both comforting him enraged her further.

"So have you got anything to say for yourself?" Owen's eyebrows rose at Christina's malicious tone.

"Look Chris, Callie just wouldn't listen to me, I told her to get in the car I waited for her and she was just being difficult, she ...she was too hard, she's hard work Chris"

"Excuse me, don't you dare even talk about her like that!"

"Christina!" Meredith looked appalled at Christina's words,

"No tell me George does Meredith know? Have you told her or was it just me and Alex out of the loop...I'm trusting that your slut knows"

"HEY"

She turned around curls flying and raised her eyebrows at George who stopped talking,

"How could you do that to her? She made you happy, genuinely happy and I know that Izzy didn't like her but you loved her so how the hell could you do that to her?"

"I don't know Chris I...I ..I have no idea, I don't know I just...I don't know"

"That's disgusting, you're disgusting and pathetic. You've known this entire time and what, you didn't think it might just be a good idea to oh I don't know tell somebody!" Christina's voiced raised again,

"I thought she would have"

"Oh for Christ's sake George this is Callie we're talking about. Not Izzie, not Meredith, not you she doesn't talk about her problems she doesn't go for help, I really thought you would have realised that when all that happened, no?" George just looked at her,

"I'm sorry Chris" Christina rolled her eyes,

"I really don't think that it's me you should be apologising too" George shook his head,

"No, I mean I'm sorry for lying to you, to you and Meredith and Alex about everything. I mean we tell each other everything I'm sorry" Christina laughed wryly,

"George I'm not angry at you for not telling us the truth, you don't share somebody's private secrets like that" Christina stopped and looked at the three again,

"Which you've probably done now right?" She rolled her eyes,

"I'm angry at you for what you did tell us that happened. I'm angry at you for making it all about you when Callie needed you. Do you know what she did, what she went through? How the hell could you sit back and let her go through that alone?"

"Well what could I do Chris? What would you do?" He tried to defend himself weakly,

"Even if she didn't want to see you, talk to you whatever. Which she did by the way, but even if she didn't you ring someone. Addison, Bailey, Mark, Chief, Her parents. Anyone do you get it yet. You don't let her go through that alone." George just looked at her before he finally nodded. His submission did nothing to relieve her anger though. It seemed like he was just doing it to make her happy to make her be quiet. She turned to the other two,

"If you two could not spread the story, just this once, that would be nice" Before anyone could talk again Christina turned on her heel and walked out, passed Owen and down the stairs. The man looked at the three _ex_ best friends of his girlfriend and couldn't help the surge of anger that spread through him along with the surge of pride for Christina. He shook his head and turned following her back down the steps relieved he still had the car keys.

* * *

Mark became a permanent fixture within the four walls that had housed Callie for over the past week, barely ever leaving. Addison, Christina and Alex were still often found in the room but as long as Mark was in there Callie could breathe normally. She still slept through most of the days but was waking up for more and more time and every time she was he would be there. Sitting in a red cushioned chair beside her bed. His fingers would usually be laced with hers but that was as close as he would get. Everyone was relieved at the progress with Mark in the room it meant that other people could be in the room, others such as Derek and Owen.

Within half a day of Mark being back in Callie's room he, Derek, Owen and Addison had taken back Callie's case as the primary doctors. Within two hours Derek stood staring at Callie's newest CT scans that he had ordered,

"Looking good, you did a good job" Owen commented as he moved into the room with his own scans. Derek nodded,

"The swelling is taking longer to go down than I thought it would" Owen stopped and looked at her scans more closely,

"Still it's going down and she's got a lot of stress on her at the moment" Derek turned to Owen now,

"Her parents still up there?" Owen almost shuddered himself as he moved to pin his xrays to the board,

"Oh yeah and they're not a happy pair either they're furious that Callie changed her emergency contacts. Mark's not letting them near the door though last I heard he threatened to call security" Derek shook his head,

"yeah I don't envy him or her at the moment I think I scared Mark telling him how much the swelling still needed to reduce"

"I think he's just scared mate" Derek nodded. He was still shaken from the fact that this had all happened to Callie before,

"Speaking of stressed by the way the police want to talk to Callie again they said they've left it as long as they can but they need some sort of statement from her now" Derek sighed, they had been trying to put it off for as long as they could knowing that Callie wasn't ready for it.

Derek was worried, he had watched Callie become more and more dependent on Mark's presence that he hoped against everything that as she healed she could learn to stand on her own again. And what would happen when Mark began work again and had surgeries again?

* * *

Mark pushed the door back open and caught Callie's eye a second later. He smiled softly and then moved towards her. Really all he wanted was to walk back outside the room and tell the two serious officers that Callie wasn't ready, that they'd have to wait, that they couldn't go in. The conversation between Addison, Christina and Callie came to a close as Callie frowned watching Mark,

"What's wrong" He offered her a smile that he knew wasn't convincing,

"nothing baby it's okay...um the police are here love and they want to know if they can speak to you" Mark watched Callie's face lose what looked like every drop of blood in it and turn ashen grey.

"love Cal you don't have to do this if you're not ready okay" Mark assured Callie who was still holding his hand in hers.

"but Cal it's better to get it over and done with" Mark glared at Addison even though he knew that she was right. The red head returned the stare pointedly,

Callie looked at Mark who met her eyes.

"It's up to you baby, we'll all be here either way it's up to you" She didn't moved,

"I don't know Mark" her voice was back to being vulnerable and frail and helpless and the voice that chilled him to the spine,

"How about if we let them in and you can say as much as you want to Cal and then they can leave whenever you want alright. A short visit today" His words, his proposition seemed to calm her and after a few minutes she nodded and gave his hand a tight squeeze,

"Okay"

"Do you want us to stay" Callie gripped his hand,

"Don't leave" Her voice was shaky,

"hey, hey, hey Cal I said I wasn't going anywhere remember" She nodded and then grinned and Mark almost reflexively jammed his finger into the pain relief button. Mark took a deep breath and walked to the door allowing the two officers to enter.

They were both female at least Mark could give them that and as they walked into the room they smiled at Callie gently.

"Hi Callie, how are you doing today?"

"I'm okay"

"glad to hear it, now we just need to ask you a couple of question Dr Torres is that alright, you don't have to answer anything you don't want to just yet" She nodded and squeezed Mark's hand tighter,

"Ok Callie, can you tell me what you remember from that night?"

"I ..don't remember much" The police officer moved towards her and looked at her,

"Callie, I know that this is hard, I understand but we need to know as much as you can tell us alright" The woman said gently looking at Callie who nodded tightening her grip on Mark's hand once again,

"I remember going downstairs to ... I wanted to go.." She frowned,

"I don't know I...was going somewhere and then I was going to head to the restaurant. I was walking to the ... I don't remember and then I...heard a voice behind me."

"That's okay Callie can you tell me what he said to you?" She shook her head trying to recall the memory,

"I don't remember exactly, I think he asked me where I was going" She shook her head again and Mark leant up placing his hand on her forehead,

"Love keep your head still" She smiled at him and he lowered his hand,

"I don't know I'm sorry"

"It's alright Callie we don't expect you to remember much at the moment but if you think of anything maybe write it down or tell Mark or somebody else and let us know yeah?"

"Ok, Um he had a knife, I remember, he had a knife and he made me walk with him into the park" The officer nodded at her encouragingly,

"we walked behind the building and then he ...I think he let go of the knife or threw it and then I tried to get away, I tried..I ...I tried" Her voice became strained and the heart monitor beside the bed beeped erratically. Mark looked towards the officers, who both knew that he was serious in making them leave if she became to stressed,

"Callie I'm positive that you've been told already that what happened was not at all your fault but I'd like to tell you again. This happens to women all the time, it's traumatic and you can take as long as you need. We aren't here for all the answers today and Drs. Shepherd and Hunt have given us most of the details about your physical condition. Can you tell us what you remember after it happened, when did he leave?"

Callie shook her head but stopped as Mark moved closer caressing her hand reminding her to keep her still healing body as still as she could.

"I don't know, I...woke up and he was gone"

"You were unconscious?"

"Yes"

"Ok and how did you get back to your apartment?"

"I ...I ..I just ran ...I just...there wasn't another way I had to ..I had to get..." Tears welled up in her eyes and that was enough for Mark who leant over the side of the bed to her,

"love Cal it's okay you did good love you're okay alright" One of the officers moved forward at Mark's words as well standing beside him,

"Callie that's all we need for today, thank you for speaking with us, you let us know when you're okay to talk a little bit more love okay" Callie nodded and without another word the women left shutting the door behind them.

With the click of the door tears began to fall down Callie's bruised face,

"Hon it's alright love" Mark tried to reassure her. She looked up to him trying to breathe evenly again and she let him run a gentle hand down the side of her face.

"It's okay Callie just breathe" The pair barely even registered Christina and Addison leaving both women rattled by just the few details of Callie's ordeal.

At some point Callie reached for Mark she had got herself more and more stressed and Mark's attempts to settle her were becoming futile. Finally she simply reached her arms out for him in pain. He didn't hesitate to gently slide into the bed next to her testing her reaction,

"It's okay sweetheart, relax" She just reached for him further,

"No love don't move" He slid into the bed next to her moving around her so she didn't need to move. She tucked her head into his neck and cried. He rubbed her back slowly calming her down,

"It's alright love, it's okay"

Slowly she began to relax, slowly she began to breathe again but she didn't let go and while Mark's chest thumped uncomfortably at hearing Callie's cry he couldn't help but marvel at having her in his arms again. He held her tighter against his chest promising to never let her go again.

**PLEASSEEE REVIEW!**

**needing some motivation!  
**

**Sorry it's taken so long guys. xx**


	15. Chapter 15

**Don't say victim **

**Chapter 15: **

Several days later found Addison fussing over Callie who smiled lightly up at her from where she was tucked safely into Mark's arms. Derek had finally put his foot down and was removing the woman who hadn't left the hospital for about a week taking her home to get some quality sleep.

"Sweety are you sure you're going to be fine here tonight" Callie had nodded feeling her head twinge a little and instead answered her friend,

"Yes Addy I will be" her voice was still weaker than usual but it sounded a lot better. Addison nodded her brow creased and met Mark's eyes that told her it was going to be alright and that he'd look after her.

It wasn't that Mark was hurt or insulted by Addison's unasked question he was glad that she was so protective of Callie. What she had really wanted to ask had been 'are you sure you're going to be okay with Mark for the night'. Mark sighed, she'd had reason to be concerned of course. It was the first night that he and Callie had spent completely alone. Addison, Christina or one of the others would have usually been tucked into one of the chairs beside Callie's bed.

But as Mark looked down at his sleeping girlfriend who was _still_ tucked safely in his arms sleeping peacefully he couldn't help but feel relieved. She had gotten to sleep relatively quickly but he wasn't surprised with the amount of drugs they were still pumping through her body. The police had been there again that day and like the last time he had ended up on the bed calming Callie down and avoiding a building panic attack.

And there he had stayed not moving.

It was then that Mark looked down to see a small line crease on Callie's forehead. As much as he wanted to kiss it away he would never risk her waking up and freaking out. Determined not to scare her he realised that Callie's peaceful sleep was quickly becoming quite the opposite. He gently tightened his hold on her hoping to settle her without having to wake her up. But two minutes later when the first tear ran down Callie's face even though she was still asleep Mark couldn't hold on any longer,

"Cal" He whispered softly but loud enough to hoply wake her,

"Callie, Cal...wake up Callie!" With that Callie's eyes shot open and she went to sit up. Thankfully Mark caught her in time having enough practice over the past week.

"Callie...Callie it's okay..it's just me love, it's Mark" Slowly she stopped fighting him, slowly her movements became weaker and when she caught sight of him she buried her head back into his neck and he held on tightly not letting go.

"It's okay Callie, you're safe love, you're alright. I've got you" He whispered into her ear.

"I've got you baby"

Several minutes later Callie was finally breathing properly again and Mark removed the oxygen mask that he had held over her mouth and nose for several deep breaths in. She lay in his arms not wanting to go to sleep again. Not wanting to relive it not wanting to see his face again. And finally she couldn't keep it in anymore she looked up to Mark tears streaming down her face,

"What do you dream about Cal" he asked in a whisper as he brushed a few pieces of hair from her face. She let out a shaky breathe and pushed her body further into Marks.

"I dream about him Mark"

**Sooo callie's going to tell Mark what happened...do you guys think she should now orrr?**

**Oh and please review!**

**Thankyou !**

**Nina xx**


	16. Chapter 16

**Don't say victim**

**Chapter 16**

"I can …feel him" she was uncomfortable with her own words, he knew that. He raised a hand and placed his palm against her cheek brushing his thumb over her skin that was still in the process of returning to her normal bronze.

"I can feel that ..knife" she closed her eyes but he didn't take his own off her. He needed to make sure she knew that he was there, when she was ready to open them again he would be there. She raised a bruised shaking hand to her neck and he knew that she was remembering the knife. He threaded his fingers between hers drawing them away from her skin, tucking her hand into his larger, warmer one.

"I couldn't get away, I wasn't… he" she forced herself to stop and her brow creased and he knew that if her eyes had been open his own heart would have plummeted at the pain and confusion that he would see swimming in them. Her eyes had always been his way in, always been her give away to him. No matter what she meant, what she said her eyes always told him the truth.

He felt the tremor that ran down her spine but he didn't comment, giving her every minute in time that she needed, he could wait, more importantly he would wait. He would wait forever for her.

"I'm sorry Mark"

"I hope you're not apologising for what happened" he said, his voice low. She could feel his hot breathe on his cheek and she opened her eyes to find herself staring into his steady ones. Filled with comfort and love and warmth. There wasn't pity. It was pity she didn't want to see. There was anger yes but she knew enough now to know that it wasn't aimed at her. She cursed herself wondering how she'd questioned the man. This was Mark. Mark Sloan, her best friend, Mark. The man who showed up and spent every minute of the day with her when she broke up with someone, the man who she could tell anything to, the man who knew her better than she knew herself, better than anyone had ever known her, the man who put her back together. And she hadn't trusted him, she hadn't put her trust in him when he'd put his own in her time and time again. No, that was what she had to apologise for.

"No I'm just…I'm sorry I didn't call you, and tell you, and didn't let you in, I don't know what I was..I just…" she took a shaky breath becoming tied up in her own scrambled words and he tightened his arms around her slightly breathing relief when she relaxed just slightly,

"I really…I was stuck Mark I just didn't know what to do, when I woke up, I didn't..I was just back in that moment when it happened ages ago and I didn't want to lose you, not you, and I was so sure you were going to react like George did and I'm so sorry Mark I know you would never, I know that.." the sincerity in her eyes caused pain to slice through his chest,

"It's okay Callie" he whispered,

"It's alright, you don't need to apologise to me love, never" he promised her and several more tears dripped down her face which she buried in his neck. He kissed the top of her head pushing herself further into his arms,

"How's the pain?"

"Okay" she whispered and he realised she was slipping into sleep again,

"Get some rest love"

"I don't want to see it again, I don't want to dream about it" she whispered as though she were embarrassed of her own words. His fingers running through her hair did nothing to ease the exhausted warmth that was spreading through her, that was making her eyelids heavier and heavier,

"I'll be here to wake you up Cal, always"

**Quick update, next chapter will come later on today I'm just finishing it up cause I'm not sure where I'm really going with this now, need to replan a bit : )**

**I know it's short but I figured it was better than nothing! And after this long you guys deserve a lot more than nothing!**

**xx**


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